The city of Dhaka, Bangladesh is considered the most densely populated city in the world. The population density is estimated at more than 23,000 people per square kilometer,[1] which is more than twice times that of New York City. This dense population produces a large amount of waste in a small amount of space that is, usually, not disposed of properly. This waste then builds up on the streets and often blocks storm drains;[2] this, combined with Dhaka’s primarily concrete infrastructure, lack of greenery to absorb excess rainfall, and increasing rainfall[3] makes the city very susceptible to flooding caused by rainstorms. Dhaka needs a new system for waste management that will allow these storm drains to be cleared to help decrease the risk of flooding during the rainy season.
We propose implementing a waste management system similar to that of the city of Curitiba in Brazil. Curitiba incentives recycling and proper waste disposal by creating an exchange system with a valued currency. Pounds of separated garbage can be exchanged for bus tokens or pounds of food, and children can bring their waste to school for more leisure items such as books and toys: produce is bought off from the surplus of the yield local farmers, and toys are made from the recyclable material exchanged through the program. Curitiba is regarded as one of the most sustainable cities in the world. The city recycles 70% of all its waste and does so through citizen participation.[4] Recycling is also integral to the city’s educational curriculum, making recycling come very easy to the citizens of Curitiba. This system leaves the streets clean because picking up garbage rewards the citizens with a currency that is valued. This also works because people living in poverty can sustain themselves off of collecting garbage and bringing it to waste centers.
This waste exchange system is fairly easily implemented; waste collection locations would need to be established and then current garbage collection vehicles would need to be allotted exchange materials at these locations. Since the garbage is pre-separated, operations in waste separation in waste management plants can shift toward recycling the material given. Similar to Curitiba, citizens of Dhaka would benefit from the food, books, and toys currency. Public transportation is very decentralized in Dhaka, so a currency of bus tokens is not useful; however, transportation is integral to the lives of Dhaka citizens, so the establishment of a transportation voucher system may be beneficial: citizens could receive transportation vouchers that are issued by the government which drivers and transportation companies can then exchange for money.
The key to implementing a solution similar to Curitiba’s is to make the garbage valuable enough to incentive collection as well as providing the citizens with the education to be able to separate their garbage properly. If Dhaka were to successfully incentivize its citizens to dispose of waste properly through a model similar to that of Curitiba’s, then Dhaka would be able to clear its storm drains, thereby mitigating the risk of flooding for the city.
By Grace Bryant
References
- Dhaka Population 2017. (2017, October 20). Retrieved from http://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/dhaka-population/
- Will cite students from bangladeshi students association once information is retrieved
- Islam, A. S., Murshed, S. B., Khan, S. A., & Hasan, M. A. (2014). Impact of Climate Change on Heavy Rainfall in Bangladesh. Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM), no. 1, IX. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service)
- Gratz, R. B. (2013, August 06). Curitiba: An Environmental Showcase. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/roberta-brandes-gratz/curitiba_b_3713953.html