Livelihood Status and Health Condition of Waste Pickers in Sylhet City Corporation: A Study
Open Access
- 29 March 2022
- journal article
- Published by ACCB Publishing in Space and Culture, India
- Vol. 9 (4), 16-27
- https://doi.org/10.20896/saci.v9i4.1228
Abstract
Urban poor are engaged in waste picking in the city areas of Bangladesh, as it requires no skills and experience. Though several studies have been conducted on waste management, the livelihood of waste pickers remains unexplored. So, this study has been undertaken to investigate the livelihood and health status of the informal waste pickers living in the Sylhet City Corporation, Bangladesh using the five capitals of the sustainable livelihood framework. To achieve the study objectives, at first, purposively selected one hundred waste pickers were surveyed. Then, to substantiate quantitative data gathered by the survey, ten in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion (FGD) were conducted. This study found that the vulnerabilities of waste pickers in the city area are the consequences of their poor education and lack of skills, lower earnings, miserable living and working conditions, lower social status, and no access to social services. In addition, they face chronic injuries and occupational health risks, but they are not aware of this. As a result, they cannot maintain a standard of living by their efforts. So, Government and non-government organisations should recognise their contribution and take necessary steps for improving their livelihood and health status.Keywords
This publication has 23 references indexed in Scilit:
- Domestic Violence in Sylhet, Bangladesh: Analysing the Experiences of Abused WomenSocial Change, 2016
- Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste Management System in a Developing CountryChinese Journal of Engineering, 2014
- Solid waste management challenges for cities in developing countriesWaste Management, 2013
- Informal recycling and occupational health in Santo André, BrazilInternational Journal of Environmental Health Research, 2008
- Role of informal sector recycling in waste management in developing countriesHabitat International, 2006
- Surviving from garbage: the role of informal waste-pickers in a dynamic model of solid-waste management in developing countriesEnvironment and Development Economics, 2006
- Serving the unserved: informal refuse collection in MexicoWaste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy, 2005
- Formal and informal recovery of recyclables in Mexicali, Mexico: handling alternativesResources, Conservation and Recycling, 2002
- Scavenger cooperatives in Asia and Latin AmericaResources, Conservation and Recycling, 2000
- The hierarchical factor structure of the coping strategies inventoryCognitive Therapy and Research, 1989