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KDI 경제교육·정보센터

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  • 경제배움
  • Economic

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    and Education

    Center

최신자료
Rethinking urban waste management : inclusive and community-based solutions for Asia-Pacific Least developed countries
UNESCAP
2026.05.26
- Rapid urbanisation and population growth are intensifying waste management challenges across the Asia-Pacific least developed countries (LDCs). Although waste generation per capita remains lower compared to other developing countries in the region, municipal waste management systems in LDCs are largely linear, disposal-oriented, and underfunded, contributing to environmental degradation, inefficient resource use and unequal access to services. The greatest burdens are borne by informal settlements, informal waste workers, and surrounding communities through inadequate services, pollution exposure, and unsafe working conditions.

- These challenges are rooted not only in technical and infrastructural gaps but also in systemic social, financial and governance barriers that reinforce exclusion and inefficiency. Addressing them requires recognising marginalised communities not only as service recipients, but as active contributors to resource recovery and system design. Extending the discussion of the 2026 Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report: Inclusive Urban Futures: From Inequality to Opportunity, this brief highlights how inclusive and community-based approaches are practical and scalable pathways to strengthen waste management systems across Asia-Pacific LDCs. Drawing on examples across Asia and the Pacific, it presents policy and community-led solutions to support more inclusive and resource-efficient waste systems.