The Informal Sector’s Role in Urban Environmental Management
Author(s)
Amin, A. T. M. Nurul
Abstract
This paper starts by tracing the origin of the informal sector and urban environmental management (UEM) paradigms. Their points of intersection in solid waste management and in the provision of water supply and sanitation are investigated based on a large number of published and unpublished studies. In addition to identifying the supply- and demand-side factors, the underlying economic and financial fundamentals and socio-political causes of informal-sector involvement in urban environmental provision are explored. The informal sector’s contributions to urban environmental management are highlighted for: the mutually reinforcing roles of the informal sector and UEM, the pioneering role of the informal sector in stimulating private investment in urban environmental infrastructure, the socially crucial transitional function of informal-sector involvement in UEM, and the role of the informal sector in stimulating competition in UEM. The paper proposes two strategies to strengthen the beneficial role of the informal sector in urban environmental management. One strategy seeks to alleviate health hazards associated with the informal sector’s involvement in urban environmental service provision. The other seeks to overcome the polarized viewpoints as to suitable institutional options for this provision. A matrix for distribution of responsibility among the competing stakeholders is presented to facilitate finding the optimal role for the informal sector in urban environmental management.
