Dar es Salaam is enhancing the city’s organic waste management practices through worker engagement and inclusive planning and implementation. The goal is to improve the quality of life of those living and working in informal settlements while creating waste-free streets.
Population growth in Dar es Salaam has resulted in significant waste generation increases, along with illegal dumping and uncollected waste. Waste is often buried or burnt, resulting in increasingly frequent floods due to drainage system blockage and toxic air pollution that negatively impacts the health of nearby communities, especially children and older people who are more vulnerable to respiratory effects.
Although informal settlements account for 75% of the city’s housing, inadequate infrastructure and limited technical capacity reinforce challenges in organic waste management. One solution is relying on informal waste pickers; however, this results in inconsistent waste collection services across settlements and creates poor working conditions that risk workers’ health and prosperity.
With the C40 Inclusive Climate Action (ICA) Cities Fund support, Dar es Salaam will strengthen its collaboration with informal organic waste workers to promote ownership of climate action and enhance access to wider benefits. The city will boost skills among city officials and key actors in the organic waste management chain whilst empowering and mobilising informal worker communities to co-create and institutionalise sustainable waste management policies and practices.
This project will support the city’s vision of waste-free streets within informal settlements so that organic waste challenges can be converted into opportunities for creating good, green jobs, leading to improved working conditions and quality of life for informal workers.
The C40 Inclusive Climate Action (ICA) Cities Fund is designed to help cities develop and implement climate projects with equity and inclusion principles at their core. As part of the 2023 programme, C40 is supporting six global cities to develop and deliver climate projects over a 12 month period that are inclusive, fair and benefit all residents. Learn more about the ICA Cities Fund.