The State of Cities 2015 is a timely study undertaken to highlight the problems of growing cities and the hurdles faced by the citizens living in these cities. In the context of Bangladesh, the study is more relevant as limited research has been undertaken in this direction. In particular, no comprehensive study has been undertaken in recent times to understand one of the most dreaded problems of urban living, Solid Waste Management (SWM). The problem is of complex nature as it involves several stakeholders and the impacts are far-reaching. Under this backdrop, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), has taken up this demand-driven policy research to identify the challenges faced and opportunities available for effective SWM. This study within a limited time frame and resources has tried to explore the role of various stakeholders and institutions through an in-depth analysis at various stages of SWM. While doing so, the study looked at the micro-level management at various stages: 1) Primary stage: looking at primary waste generators (households and public places); 2) Secondary stage: including disposal to landfilling sites from container sites and other designated sites; 3) Tertiary stage: focusing on recycling and composting. It has been observed that the rate of waste collection has been at an encouraging rate of 76 per cent per day on average, per capita waste generation is estimated to be 0.38kg compared to 0.34kg in 2005. The report concludes by recommending a decentralized form of governance to address inter-ward disparities in SWM.
Authors: Markony, Gazi Arafat Uz Zaman; Islam, Mohammad Sirajul; Ahamed, Raihan; Arafat, S M Gubair Bin; Talukder, Sumaiya Kabir; Nadim, Nadir Shah
Type: Report
Year: 2015
