Transformative Solutions in the Global South: Addressing Solid Waste Management Challenges in Jakarta Through Participation by Civil Society Organizations?

Abstract

Global solid waste generation is steeply increasing. Currently, high-income countries are responsible for the utmost per capita waste generation, but as economies of the Global South are growing rapidly, their waste is expected to triple by 2050. Simultaneously, countries such as Indonesia did not manage to align their socio-economic development with a sustainable solid waste management (SWM) and therefore contribute significantly to waste debris. Community participation is recognized by governments and civil society actors as an inclusive and transformative tool to manage exacerbating environmental issues. Urban regions intensify the challenges of solid waste generation, as is the case in Jakarta. Therefore, sustainable waste management is subject to an increasing number of civil society organizations. The study analyzed how participative processes within SWM efforts in Jakarta are executed, to investigate potentials and obstacles that evolve during the implementation. Another aim was to explore the heterogenous perspectives of participation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with civil society actors, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), social enterprises, and waste banks to get insights into participatory procedures in Jakarta. The results reveal that the waste problems in Jakarta are complex, interrelated, and multi-layered. While participatory procedures have been acknowledged by the organizations to be highly relevant for waste management, such approaches should be adapted depending on the local circumstances and actors. Some of the obstacles and limitations include deficiency of infrastructure for SWM, lack of government engagement, and general awareness. Therefore, participatory formats should be combined, e.g., with suitable structures and balanced engagement of all relevant actors. Among others, further empirical research is needed to get a better understanding of the effectiveness of participation for efforts addressing environmental pollution. Such research can reveal (hidden) potentials of participative formats for sustainable waste management in urban or metropolitan areas in the Global South.