Gender and Waste Nexus: Experiences from Bhutan, Mongolia and Nepal

2014). This linear growth is predicted to continue in the absence of effective mitigation measures.

Nepal

Thewastesectoralsouses significant energy, particularly through transportation. Waste service vehicles in Kathmandu are old and consume fuel inefficiently. Transporting recyclables to sites also adds to the problem, as a significant amount of waste segregation also occurs once the recyclables have reached landfills, which means each drop-off and collection requires a trip to the landfill site. Nepal has ratified the Paris Agreement and has set concrete commitments. Among the country’s commitments are enhanced waste management through environmentally sound technologies and energy generation from waste (Nepal, Ministry of Population and Environment 2016). Nepal’s INDC commitments do not include gender, nor do they consider a gender perspective. Waste context The Government has developed a draft solid waste strategy which aims to steadily reduce its waste by diverting 60 per cent of total waste from landfills by 2030. 13 The long-term target is to produce zero waste. This strategy – to be adopted as a national strategy and action plan for 2020 to 2035 – is expected to help Nepal approach waste management holistically rather than through stand-alone activities, and to begin establishing the concept of a national circular economy.

Household waste collection services in Kathmandu occur twice a week, with household payments generally averaging less than US$ 3 per month in a regular period. During festival seasons, theremaybe some cost differences. This is a significant improvement compared with previous years, when rubbish was left out in the streets or dumped on riverbanks in the capital. These improvements are thanks to the involvement of the private sector. Waste collection organized by a whistle system has been largely Greenhouse gases are emitted from leachate at the Sisdole sanitary landfill. Many waste pickers work at the landfill and are exposed to high levels of pollution and the physically unsafe environment. The landfill was estimated to reach full capacity in 2008. Photo by Tina Schoolmeester. it is delivered to Sisdole sanitary landfill, which was due to be closed in 2008. Recently, the Government established a public–private partnership with a Nepalese–Finnish joint venture to facilitate waste management operations, including a new landfill. • Most household waste generated is organic (78.6 per cent) and the rest is recyclable material – paper and cardboard (10.31 per cent), plastic (7.73 per cent), glass (1.31 per cent), metal (0.65 per cent), rubber and leather (0.13 per cent) and others (1.26 per cent) (Nepal, MoFAGA 2018). • There is limited official segregation at the source and recycling is carried out entirely by the informal sector. Rates of recycling are unknown but are assumed to be high.

Waste snapshot, Kathmandu

The most recent waste management analysis comes from the baseline report prepared within the framework of the Waste and Climate Change project funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

• Each household generates about 1.05 kg of waste per day.

• In 2018, 276.74 tons of solid household waste were generated per day in Kathmandu (Nepal, MoFAGA 2018), which is an increase from the amount reported in 2013 of 233.07 tons per day (Asian Development Bank 2013). This reflects the rising level of consumption – a continuing trend.

• Waste is collected in the capital, which is a significant improvement from the previous years. After collection,

42 Gender and waste nexus