Social processes in post-crisis municipal solid waste management innovations: A proposal for research and knowledge exchange in South Asia

Abstract

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) has become one of the most pressing environmental issues in South Asian cities, the more so as it is closely linked to drinking water quality, sanitation and human health affecting mostly the urban poor, as well as to global climate change. Looking at recent governance initiatives in three South Asian cities developed in the wake of natural or human-induced crises, the project will focus on how to render MSWM improvements politically feasible and socially acceptable, which is a pre-requisites for functioning SWM systems, and thus for (environmental and social) sustainability more generally. The goal of this project, therefore, is to identify, analyze and promote the political and sociocultural processes that are necessary to enable the functioning of MSWM systems. In particular, alternative practices and systems are promoted, whereby institutional hierarchies are decentralized, favoring horizontal accountabilities and whereby waste chains are shortened and transformed into closed loops implying a more circular waste economy in which both environmental and local livelihood benefits would accrue. The project puts emphasis on mutual learning through horizontal South-South partnerships between local authorities, civil society actors and researchers across South Asia.

Plastic Venture Builder (PVB): An empirically derived assessment tool to support plastic waste management ventures in low- and middle-income countries

“…Politics is rarely a strong asset or focus of new ventures, however this factor can turn out to be a major barrier if a competitive scheme or mafia-like organization runs waste management operations in the region. Conversely, studies have demonstrated that political shocks or disruptions may also serve as ‘windows of opportunity’ for entrepreneurs (Véron et al, 2018). Finally, financial sources scores appeared to be less important for young ventures.…”

“…These ventures often exist outside of or complementary to solid waste management (SWM) offered by governments. Informal waste management is not a new phenomenon and is prevalent in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as a key facet of waste management (Nandy et al, 2015; Véron et al, 2018). However, due to macro trends such as the globalization of the plastic waste trade, there are increasingly more opportunities for individuals and companies to work in the waste sector and tap into value chains (Liu et al, 2018).…”