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

Urban informality research has traditionally emphasized precarity and uncertainty amidst climate change. However, could nature-based solutions (NbS) advance sustainable informal futures? This paper, through the lens of informal electronic waste (e-waste) management and using a qualitative case study approach, investigates how NbS can contribute to climate change management in informal urban settings. Conducting nine key informant interviews and an interview of 183 informal e-waste actors in Kumasi (Ghana), we address three questions: a) How do informal e-waste practices influence climate change? b) What are the conditions of NbS in informal urban environments? and c) How can NbS be used as a tool to improve informal e-waste practices? Findings indicate that informal e-waste practices contribute both to local livelihoods and environmental degradation with associated climate vulnerability, yet remain excluded from formal planning. We show that NbS, when contextually adapted and inclusive of informal actors, can serve as a strategic entry point for ecological restoration and urban resilience. A focus on informal e-waste practices is profoundly important for understanding the complexities of and adapting to climate change in a deeply informal city. City authorities working collaboratively with informal e-waste workers and communities is foundational for transitioning to NbS futures. Our novel contribution relates to the integration of NbS into informal e-waste discourse and the urgency for policymakers to rethink how informality intersects with climate change.