Challenges of waste management and recycling: Untold stories from a developing country

9^th World Convention on Recycling and Waste Management

October 22-23, 2018 Osaka, Japan

Mehe Z Rahman

North South University, Bangladesh

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Environ Anal Toxicol

Abstract :

Solid Waste Management (SWM) has become an enormous burden for the governments of developing countries. SWM is a crucial problem in the Dhaka city of Bangladesh. The Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) is the only formal organization responsible for waste management. It estimates that up to two percent of the population of developing countries survives through informal waste-recovery activities. This would imply that millions of people are involved in some kind of waste related work. Poorly planning and uncontrolled urbanization in Dhaka has caused a variety of detrimental, negative, often irreversible environmental impacts. Thus, this study is aimed to assess the poverty reduction and sustainable livelihood through SWM among the waste workers in Dhaka. This study collects primary data through a questionnaire survey on 420 poor waste workers living in the Dhaka city of Bangladesh. The samples are selected from the landfill, commercial and residential area based on the stratified random sampling technique. Sixty five percent (65%) of waste workers agreed they have changed their livelihood through SWM. The two latent exogenous constructs namely source segregation/separation and pre-recycling works/ scavenging related work are the significant variables to achieve sustainable livelihood vis-a-vis poverty reduction. Training has the significant impact on poverty reduction. The study focused on the health awareness, welfare, income generation, employment opportunities of waste workers. Based on the findings, this study provides a set of policy recommendations and plans for sustainable livelihood and healthy environment.

Biography :

Mehe Z Rahman has completed her PhD from National University of Malaysia in 2016. Currently, she is working in North South University of Bangladesh as a Director of BBA Program and Assistant Professor of Department of Management. She has published 14 papers in reputed journals.

E-mail: mehe.rahaman@northsouth.edu