Partnerships for development: municipal solid waste management in Kasese, Uganda

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Development Studies
• Public Policy

Background:

• Developing countries face significant challenges in municipal solid waste management due to limited financial resources and poor governance.
• Entrenched, unsustainable technologies and systems create path dependencies, hindering progress in waste management.
• Addressing these constraints requires innovative approaches beyond traditional technological solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight strategic partnerships as a mechanism for distributed agency among stakeholders.
• To explore how partnerships can break path dependencies in municipal solid waste management systems.
• To identify lessons and principles for building effective partnerships for sustainable waste management.

Main Methods:

• Case study of a North-South collaborative effort involving the World Wildlife Fund and access2innovation in Kasese District, Uganda.
• Municipal solid waste management system characterization and mapping exercise.
• Analysis of stakeholder mobilization and partnership-building experiences.

Main Results:

• Socio-technical lock-in effects can impede partnerships focused on specific technologies like biogas or incineration.
• Opportunities for partnerships exist in other areas of municipal solid waste management.
• Synergies can be found by interlinking waste management with other systems, such as sanitation.

Conclusions:

• Strategic partnerships are crucial for overcoming systemic barriers in municipal solid waste management.
• Partnership building requires careful consideration of socio-technical lock-ins and identification of synergistic opportunities.
• Collaborative efforts can pave the way for more sustainable municipal solid waste management pathways in developing countries.