Toward Sustainable Municipal Organic Waste Management in South Asia

This report aims to align South Asian cities with ADB‘s Strategy 2020 for environmentally sustainable growth and livable cities. It provides a useful management resource, identifying key issues and pointing policy makers, city managers, and practitioners to improved waste treatment technologies.

The massive scale of urbanization in South Asia is expected to create a surge in demand for solid waste services. An enormous opportunity exists to improve upon the “business-as-usual” approach of uncollected waste and open dumping witnessed throughout the region and to convert this waste into value-added resources, such as alternative fuels and agricultural fertilizers. As approximately 70% of the region’s municipal waste stream is currently organic (biodegradable) waste, methods such as composting, anaerobic digestion, and conversion to refuse-derived fuels offer a more sustainable course of action.

Contents
Tables, Figures, and Boxes
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Executive Summary
Chapter 1: Sector Overview: Municipal Organic Waste Management
Issues and Technologies
Municipal Solid Waste Management in South Asia
Resource Recovery Potential from Municipal Organic Waste
Drivers for Change
Experience of Municipal Organic Waste Management in South Asia
Key Issues in Scaling Up Organic Waste Management
Chapter 2: Tool Kit for Municipalities and Operators
Analysis of Technology Options for Organic Waste Recycling
Technology Selection: How to Choose the Right Organic Waste Treatment System
Private Sector Participation in Organic Waste Management
Planning and Operational Guidelines
Chapter 3: Enabling Framework for Scaling Up Operations
Institutional Roles and Responsibilities
Compost Quality Standards
Capacity Building, Training, and Education
Fiscal Measures and Market-based Instruments
The Way Forward
Appendixes
1. Country Experience in Organic Waste Management
2. Priority Actions by Country for Scaling Up Organic Waste Management
3. Additional Resources
4. Carbon Financing for Organic Waste Management