Urban Solid Waste Management in Karachi, Pakistan

• Main Author: Hajra Mahmood, Muhammad Moiz Khan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Society of Economic Geologists and Mineral Technologists 2019-05-01
• Series: International Journal of Economic and Environment Geology
• Subjects: solid-waste management; refuse; overpopulation; planning; landfill
• Online Access: http://www.econ-environ-geol.org/index.php/ojs/article/view/221/169

Karachi is the largest metropolitan city of Pakistan with a population of 207,774,520(Statistics, 2017). Ironically, a megacity of a developing state has its drawbacksanddiscrepancies in solid waste mechanism being one of them. Karachi has always been the center of businesses and government offices since independence, first as capital ofPakistan and later as a provincial capital. This study evaluates the importance of solid waste management for an urban city such as Karachi, and the steps which have been taken by the successive governments to fulfill the demands of this growing megapolissince independence. Inthis study, models of solid waste managementadopted by different cities will be analyzed and a suitable model for Karachi will be proposed. Needless to say, Karachi has the potential to become aneco-friendly city by adopting the publicprivate partnership. In short, the civil society’s role is of paramount importance.