Publication:
Building a Future for Women in South Asia’s Plastics Waste Management

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Files in English
English PDF (18.8 MB)
267 downloads
English Text (456.18 KB)
82 downloads
Date
2023-10-10
ISSN
Published
2023-10-10
Editor(s)
Abstract
This report focuses on the role of key stakeholders (policy makers, waste management practitioners, civil society, informal workers’ organizations, and the private sector) in contributing to pollution reduction in South Asia while also enhancing livelihood prospects for informal waste workers—the most vulnerable of whom tend to be women. The report also demonstrates how reducing pollution and enhancing livelihood prospects are commercially sound strategies for companies and investors. Through examining the role of women in South Asia’s plastic waste management systems and the challenges they face the report provides recommendations for collaborative action to improve and safeguard women’s livelihoods in this sector More specifically, it examines the role of women in South Asia’s plastic waste management systems and the challenges they face and provides recommendations for collaborative action to improve and safeguard women’s livelihoods in this sector. Plastic pollution requires ‘upstream’ (waste prevention, such as reuse and repair) and ‘downstream’ (waste management, including recycling) solutions (Pew and SYSTEMIQ 2020). Upstream and downstream solutions fall under the broad definition of ‘materials management’. The report focuses primarily on the ‘downstream’ aspect and key vulnerable actors, who face an imminent threat of displacement, but highlights the need to better understand and engage with vulnerable actors within upstream solutions as well.
Link to Data Set
Citation
World Bank; International Finance Corporation. 2023. Building a Future for Women in South Asia’s Plastics Waste Management. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/40447 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.
Associated URLs
Associated content
Report Series
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Publication
    The Impact of COVID-19 on Plastic Waste Management in South Asia
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-09) World Bank
    This report is part of a larger series of stocktaking and analytical products on plastic pollution in South Asia. It supports the Bank’s commitment to work with countries of South Asia to pursue and scale-up policies and programs that help them move toward a circular plastic economy and, in partnership with civil society and the private sector, harnesses the power of innovation to bring viable and sustainable solutions for plastic waste reduction and management across the region. This report is supported through the South Asia Water Initiative (SAWI), a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank and designed to build a shared understanding of transboundary river pollution flows in South Asia, especially plastics pollution.
  • Publication
    Behavioral Insights for Plastic Waste Management in Bangladesh
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-01-03) World Bank
    Plastic pollution is a major challenge in Bangladesh, with annual per capita plastic consumption in urban areas tripling from 2005 to 2020. The increased use of plastics, especially single-use plastics (SUPs), combined with inadequate waste management, has resulted in a large amount of plastic leakage into the environment with implications for the environment and human health. This report presents the findings of two studies - one in Cox’s Bazar and the other in Dhaka -which were conducted to support the implementation of the Action Plan. The consultations and in depth interviews for both studies were conducted during September to November of 2022. The objective of these studies was to gain insights into the perceptions and behavior of stakeholders in both locations with regards to plastic usage and waste management. This report presents the findings of two studies - one in Cox’s Bazar and the other in Dhak - which were conducted to support the implementation of the Action Plan. The consultations and in depth interviews for both studies were conducted during September to November of 2022. The objective of these studies was to gain insights into the perceptions and behavior of stakeholders in both locations with regards to plastic usage and waste management. The findings of the studies reveal a relatively high level of public awareness regarding the negative impacts of SUPs on both the environment and human health. In conclusion, the findings of the studies in Cox’s Bazar and Dhaka indicate that the effective reduction of SUP usage and improved plastic waste management practices need a more integrated and targeted approach, involving stakeholders at various levels.
  • Publication
    Solid Waste Management Holistic Decision Modeling
    (Washington, DC, 2008-06) World Bank
    This study provides support to the Bank's ability to conduct client dialogue on solid waste management technology selection, and will contribute to client decision-making. The goal of the study was to fully explore the use of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Research Triangle Institute (EPA/RTI) holistic decision model to study alternative solid waste systems in a wide array of waste management conditions, using data collected from cities selected in each region of the world. Seven cities were selected from the different regions of development countries served by the World Bank. Their data was considered to be competent, and they cooperated with the study teams. They were: Buenos Aires, Argentina; Conakry, Guinea; Shanghai, China; Kathmandu, Nepal; Lahore, Pakistan; Amman, Jordan; and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. These cities represented a range of economic development factors, income, commercial, and industrial activity, in addition to their different physical settings and climate conditions. The cities were selected to see how such divergent variables would affect the outcome of the modeling analysis. Each of the selected cities is one of the largest within its country. In addition to the 7 target cities from developing countries, Kawasaki, Japan, and Atlanta, Georgia, were selected for comparative purposes. The resulting scenarios for each city, and cities in comparison to others, are shown in detail. While this report found the level of analysis adequate to indicate how technologies and scenarios compare, more detail would be required for deciding on the most cost-effective technology. The results of this study can be considered a useful guide for many cities, in understanding the waste disposal options most appropriate to their conditions.
  • Publication
    Brazil Low Carbon Case Study : Waste
    (Washington, DC, 2010) World Bank
    This report synthesis the findings for the waste sector of a broader study, the Brazil low carbon study, which was undertaken by the World Bank in its initiative to support Brazil's integrated effort towards reducing national and global emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) while promoting long term development. The purpose of the present report is to assist in the preparation of public policy proposals regarding GHG emissions and the additional financial resources necessary. The main purpose of the scenarios is to provide an evaluation of the GHG emissions arising from the different approaches and methods for treating waste and to ensure that important environmental aspects are taken into account when key decisions are being made on the waste treatment technologies to be applied in Brazil. The World Bank and covers four key areas with large potential for low-carbon options: 1) Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF), including deforestation; 2) transport systems; 3) energy production and use, particularly electricity, oil and gas and bio-fuels; and 4) solid and liquid urban waste.
  • Publication
    Improving Municipal Solid Waste Management in India : A Sourcebook for Policy Makers and Practitioners
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2008) Asnani, P. U.; Zhu, Da; Zurbrügg, Chris; Mani, Shyamala; Anapolsky, Sebastian
    Human activities create waste, and the ways that waste is handled, stored, collected, and disposed of can pose risks to the environment and to public health. Solid waste management (SWM) includes all activities that seek to minimize health, environmental, and aesthetic impacts of solid waste. In urban areas, especially in the rapidly urbanizing cities of the developing world, problems and issues of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) are of immediate importance. This book addresses the problem by focusing on India. A country such as India, with its high economic growth and rapid urbanization, requires immediate solutions to the problems related to mismanagement of urban waste. City managers are actively trying to understand the problem and are seeking effective ways of intervening. They realize that such interventions are essential to improving the quality of their cities and to reducing adverse health and environmental impacts. For cities to be sustainable and to continue their economic development, they must be clean and healthy. They need to improve their SWM systems by adopting good collection coverage, appropriate transfer methods, and healthy disposal practices.

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Publication
    Gender Dimensions of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining : A Rapid Assessment Toolkit
    (World Bank, 2012-01-01) Eftimie, Adriana; Heller, Katherine; Strongman, John; Hinton, Jennifer; Lahiri-Dutt, Kuntala; Mutemeri, Nellie
    Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is a global reality. It represents a longstanding and important livelihood for more than 100 million men and women around the world. In some places, communities have practiced it for generations; in other places, the prospect of new mineral finds draws large numbers of people suddenly to mining areas. Whether newly begun or long established, ASM has the potential to help men and women out of poverty when conducted in an informed and responsible way. In different communities, different techniques are used, and men and women share different divisions of labor, risks, and opportunities. ASM assessments, and the recommendations for action arising from these, are critical to the objectives of every ASM stakeholder, whether the large-scale mining (LSM) company seeking to improve the outcomes of its corporate social responsibility programs, a government agency or nongovernmental organization (NGO) seeking to fulfill its policy mandate, a microfinance organization promoting small and medium enterprise development in mining areas, or an association of miners seeking to formalize its activities. The toolkit is comprised of six components: introduction to gender and ASM; the gender and ASM framework; gender and ASM tools; the toolkit in practice; resources; and supplemental CD-ROM.
  • Publication
    Improving Access to Medicines in Developing Countries : Application of New Institutional Economics to the Analysis of Manufacturing and Distribution Issues
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2005-03) Attridge, C. James; Preker, Alexander S.
    This paper examines alternative frameworks for empirical analysis of supply side activities, namely, the manufacture and distribution of medicine, through the application of New Institutional Economics (NIE) concepts. Attention is focused particularly upon the potential utility of ideas from agency theory, transaction cost analysis and contemporary ideas from strategy theory. The major purpose of this paper is to use these theoretical frameworks to provide insight for policy makers, when faced with specific situations, whether in an international agency, or a private company, or in defining a national strategy. The analysis attempts to show the importance of distinctions between ideas of 'make' or 'buy', between 'national self sufficiency' and 'international purchasing' strategies, the limitations of contractual agreements under market governance and the crucial linkages between strategy formulation, strategy implementation and the necessary capabilities to achieve successful performance in practice. The current international situation on the investment, location and capacity of pharmaceutical manufacturing is reviewed and likely future scenarios suggested. Correspondingly current patterns of trade in medicines and their likely development within the context of the WTO and bilateral trade agreements are discussed. Against this background the promise and the pitfalls for new forms of public-private partnerships, which may offer attractive alternatives to conventional structures are evaluated. The implications of alternative future strategic options for national governments in setting the balance between health and industrial policies are examined and in particular the extent to which a national manufacturing capability should be developed or sustained. Similarly the scope for improving low cost distribution systems for medicines, based upon a mix of public and private sector channels, is assessed. We conclude with suggestions for further development of a transaction-based framework.
  • Publication
    Strategic Planning for Poverty Reduction in Vietnam : Progress and Challenges for Meeting the Localized Millennium Development Goals
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2003-01) Swinkels, Rob; Turk, Carrie
    This paper discusses the progress that Vietnam has made toward meeting a core set of development goals that the government recently adopted as part of its Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (CPRGS). These goals are strongly related to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but are adapted and expanded to reflect Vietnam's national challenges and the government's ambitious development plans. For each Vietnam Development Goal, the authors describe recent trends in relation to the trajectories implied by the MDGs, outline the intermediate targets identified by the government, and discuss the challenges involved in meeting these. Relative to other countries of similar per capita expenditures, Vietnam has made rapid progress in a number of key areas. Poverty has halved over the 1990s, enrollment rates in primary education have risen to 91 percent (although there is a quality problem), indicators of gender equity have been strengthened, child mortality has been reduced, maternal health has improved, and real progress has been made in combating malaria and other communicable diseases. In contrast, Vietnam scores worse than other comparable countries in the areas of child malnutrition, access to clean water, and combating HIV/AIDS. A number of important crosscutting issues emerge from this analysis that need to be addressed. One such challenge is improving equity, both in terms of ensuring that the benefits of growth are distributed evenly across the population and in terms of access to public services. This will involve addressing the affordability of education and curative health care for poor households. Improvements in public expenditure planning are needed to align resources better to stated desired outcomes and to link nationally-defined targets to subnational planning and budgeting processes. There is also a need to address capacity and data gaps which will be crucial for effective monitoring.
  • Publication
    Kingdom of Morocco : Poverty Update, Volume 1. Main Report
    (Washington, DC, 2001-03-30) World Bank
    According to the 1998-99 Living Standards Measurement Survey conducted in Moroocco, poverty showed a disturbing increase during the 1990s, regardless of how poverty is measured. This report updates the poverty profile for Morocco following the comprehensive approach suggested by the latest World Development Report (see report no. 20888 for an overview of this report). It presents a detailed analysis of 1) Poverty trends in the 1990s (Chapter 2), 2) which factors are key in explaining the observed increase in poverty (Chapter 3), and 3) the support given to the poor by Government intervention (Chapter 4). An overview of the main initiatives taken by the authorities as well as by nongovernmental organizations and private businesses in the late 1990s is presented in the first chapter; their effects, though not captured by the 1998/99 data, are likely to have a significant impact on poverty reduction in the coming years.
  • Publication
    Case Study 2 - Andhra Pradesh, India : Participation in Macroeconomic Policy Making and Reform
    (Washington, DC, 2003-03) World Bank
    For the past six years, the State of Andhra Pradesh in India has been at the vanguard of efforts to modernize the economy and the state while pursuing policies to improve the lives of the poorest. The Chief Minister and head of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Mr. Chandra Babu Naidu, is known by some as the "Laptop Minister" for his modernizing initiatives. He has reached out to international organizations and investors but has also maintained his base of support at home, in part through expanded programs in education, health, and rural development. "I have initiated so many things," Naidu said. "They are going on and will pay off after some time. But people need something today." The challenges facing the government are daunting. Andhra Pradesh (AP) is one of the largest and poorest states in India. Its population of almost 80 million approaches that of the Philippines, the 13th most populous country in the world. Even as its high-tech industries develop rapidly, AP's overall literacy rate remains a modest 44% and one-third of the population lives in poverty.