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Baseline investigation into the standard of living in a community of waste scavengers in Lahore, Pakistan, with a focus on education
Sun, February 19, 2:45 to 4:15pm EST (2:45 to 4:15pm EST), Grand Hyatt Washington, Floor: Independence Level (5B), Independence EProposal
Abstract:
Solid waste management accounts for ~5% of the global GHG emissions. Research has shown that a recycling focused solid waste management could reduce the GHG emissions by 36% for Pakistan. The current study aims to improve the solid waste management by understating the role of a waste scavenging community and their access to education in Hakim town, Lahore. It was found that there are gaps in the informal handling of waste that can be improved by improving the collection process and improving the community's economic conditions. It is also very important to train these communities in handling solid waste as well as in creating treasure from discarded waste that can’t be sold. It is vital to properly formalise the informal sector. It cannot be achieved until all these landless waste scavengers are properly documented and supported by the existing formal system. It will also be impossible to carry out better interventions for the community without improvement in their education system.
It was found that their job and its improper handling has health implications on the community. The state of environment in cities of developing countries cannot be improved until resource management and waste production is taken more seriously. This study aimed at bringing the human involved in the informal recycling process at the forefront in order to address challenges of waste management in a country like Pakistan especially by focusing on their access to education. It was observed that only two children in the community were able to read and write and not a single child was able to continue their education due to the pressure of contributing to the income of a household. This also stemmed from the fact that the parents weren’t keen on educating their children. They believed in marrying them off at a younger age. The author was able to discuss possibility of opening a school within the community which was welcomed by the community.
Key words: waste pickers; waste scavengers; waste management; women in waste, health, education