Inclusivity and Climate Action: City and Informal Waste Actors Collaboration in Accra

Abstract

The informal sector has become the most dominant sector in the Global South and can be seen in all sectors of the economy. The waste management sector is one of the major areas with many informal actors. This chapter examined how the collaboration of city authorities with informal waste actors (IWAs) can help improve the management of waste and address climate change issues. The study employed a qualitative case study where IWAs and leadership of the waste management department of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) engaged in a workshop to gather information data. The findings showed that informal waste actors’ valuable contributions have changed city authorities’ perception of them from being a nuisance to key stakeholders in waste management. This recognition and collaboration go beyond seeing IWAs as partners in waste management but also as climate change mitigation agents.

Citation

Mensah, J.K. and Agyabeng, A.N. (2024), "Inclusivity and Climate Action: City and Informal Waste Actors Collaboration in Accra", Vinodan, A., Mahalakshmi, S. and Rameshkumar, S. (Ed.) Informal Economy and Sustainable Development Goals: Ideas, Interventions and Challenges, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 225-238. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-980-220241012