Dialogues on nature-based solutions and informal e-waste management

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Urban Planning
• Climate Change Adaptation

Background:

• Traditional urban informality research focuses on precarity and climate change uncertainty.
• Informal electronic waste (e-waste) management presents unique challenges and opportunities in urban settings.
• The potential of nature-based solutions (NbS) in informal urban contexts remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how nature-based solutions (NbS) can contribute to climate change management within informal urban settings.
• To analyze the influence of informal e-waste practices on climate change.
• To explore the conditions for NbS in informal urban environments and their role in improving e-waste practices.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative case study approach in Kumasi, Ghana.
• Nine key informant interviews.
• Interviews with 183 informal e-waste actors.

Main Results:

• Informal e-waste practices support livelihoods but cause environmental degradation and climate vulnerability, often excluded from formal planning.
• Contextually adapted and inclusive NbS can facilitate ecological restoration and urban resilience.
• Collaboration between city authorities and informal e-waste workers is crucial for NbS implementation.

Conclusions:

• Nature-based solutions offer a strategic pathway for sustainable informal urban futures.
• Integrating NbS into informal e-waste management is vital for climate change adaptation.
• Policymakers must reconsider the intersection of urban informality and climate change strategies.