Great initiative by the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi!! Behavior change is a critical element in addressing climate change and/or environmental challenges, and it’s encouraging to see such focus on capacity building in this area. At GUSA, we have witnessed firsthand how targeted behavioral interventions can transform community engagement in waste management and climate action. This session reinforces the need for continuous education and collaboration to promote sustainable practices. Thank you MOU SENGUPTA for sharing this, Looking forward to more impactful initiatives like this!
PROGRAM MANAGER, CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, CIRCULAR ECONOMY, MUNICIPAL BYE LAWS, BEHAVIOUR CHANGE, INTEGRATION OF INFORMAL WASTE WORKERS, BWGs, SUSTAINABILITY, GLOBAL SOUTH
"Behavior change" is one of the most frequently discussed yet underutilized tools in solid waste management. We often hear that managing solid waste is a shared responsibility. But when we say "shared" and "responsibility," it’s crucial to understand that this requires human engagement involving people. There is no set formula a single approach to achieve behavior change. There should be consistent and continuous support, adopting diverse strategies and considerable investment for this. The statement ‘Waste Management is a shared responsibility’ also implies whose responsibility is it? Is it the waste generators—essentially all of us? Or does it lie with the waste handlers, decision-makers, and policymakers? Or perhaps it falls on all of us? What’s evident, however, is that investing in behavior change and, ultimately, in people is vital to achieving #sustainable #SWM. Waste generators are equally responsible as waste the handlers. In India, the SWM Rules, 2016 and the municipal bye-laws on SWM, aligned with these rules, clearly define the roles and responsibilities of both waste generators and waste managers. It is the duty of urban local bodies to collect, transport, process and dispose of waste. But, at the same time, citizens are equally responsible for reducing waste generation, start practicing reuse, segregating waste at the source and avoiding indiscriminate waste disposal through burying, burning or dumping. Every waste generator should also pay the user charges for waste management services as stipulated by the concerned local govt. Securing segregation of waste at the source as the core of any behavior change drive would enable the implementation of decentralized waste management solutions and reduce the economic burden associated with waste collection and transportation a city has to bear. It also enhances processing efficiency and diverts waste from landfills, cuts carbon emissions. Additionally, segregating waste streams supports livelihoods for informal waste pickers by providing them with valuable materials to sell. In a 5-day global online training program organized by CSE from Sept. 20th to 24th, '24, I had the privilege of discussing critical issues around behavior change alongside colleagues from Zambia and Tanzania, engaging with over 200 participants from 15 countries worldwide. I extend my sincere thanks to my colleague Shrotik Bose for his invaluable coordination, and to my esteemed colleagues Zephaniah Mugittu and Ms. Margaret Zulu for sharing their valuable experiences during the event. Here is an article I drafted on the prerequisites for ensuring behavior change in cities. https://lnkd.in/dmG8UTVW #behaviourchnage #sourcesegregation #municipalbyelaws Atin BiswasSiddharth Ghanshyam SinghDr. Tribhuwan Singh BishtKaifee JawedAniket ChandraMinakshi S.Centre for Science and Environment, New DelhiGeophrey Zenda Eng. Allen M Kimambo