Informal waste recycling sector in Thimphu, Bhutan and the solid waste management policy of city authority : exploring the issue of linkage | |
| Author | Giri, Anjana |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.UE-04-09 |
| Subject(s) | Recycling (Waste, etc.)--Bhutan Refuse and refuse disposal--Bhutan |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Solid waste management in urban centers has become an insurmountable problem over the world, as it is in Thimphu. City authority is grappling with the problem of increased volume of waste coupled with the task of finding an alternative dumping site. An informal waste-recycling sector has been diverting certain amount of waste from the regular waste stream by recycling. Although the contribution of informal sector in waste recycling has been widely identified and accepted in other parts of the world, studies have not been done in Bhutan as it is just an emerging sector. However, in identifying a non-technical, non-end of the pipe solution, informal sector has emerged as a prominent answer. This study tends to identify the characteristics of the informal sector waste pickers in Thimphu, examine the policy of the city authority towards recycling and identify the possibility of complementation for effective waste management in Thimphu. The study is presented in four parts. The first part gives the details of the profile of the study area and the socio-economic condition of the informal waste-recycling sector, followed by the description of the characteristics of informal waste pickers in Thimphu. The third part analyses the policy and points out the gaps in its implementation followed by the conclusion and recommendation. The study has found that both the City authority as well as the informal sectors has been working on waste though with different motives. The two sectors have been working independently towards each one's goal. However, the interesting connection has been the consequence of the activities of the two sectors. The City authority has been involved in collecting and disposing waste for a waste free city while the informal sector recyclers have been collecting the recyclables having market value for income and thus helping in the reduction of the waste. Informal waste recyclers have been indirectly providing no-cost labour towards waste management. The analysis of the conditionality of linkage as things stand has shown the need of an intermediary. The role of NGOs is noted to be important in developing a synergistic informal waste recycler-state relationship. NGOs can act as mediators in assisting the informal sector in overcoming the bottlenecks, enhancing their productivity and advocating for them. The approach to develop informal sector should take cue from the global issues pertaining to green agenda and the millennium development goal of poverty reduction. |
| Year | 2004 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Urban Environmental and Management (UE) |
| Chairperson(s) | Sajor, Edsel |
| Examination Committee(s) | Amin, A. T. M. Nurul ;Kusakabe, Kyoko |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Russell E. Train Education for Nature (WWF) ;AIT Fellowship |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2004 |