Political (in)visibility and governance disconnects
Dealing with waste in Addis Ababa and Faisalabad
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17746148 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nuno F Da Cruz (0000-0003-3381-6359, University of Aveiro, corresponding author), Saeeduddin Ahmed (University of Engineering and Technology), Eyob Balcha Gebremariam (0000-0002-4107-3690, University of Bristol) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-28 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-12 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Oxford Development Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1360-0818 • E-ISSN: 1469-9966 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13600818.2026.2613972 |
| OpenAlex | W7123355644 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 29 |
Like many large cities in the Global South, Addis Ababa and Faisalabad have struggled to improve their solid waste management (SWM) systems. The political economy of the sector, alongside local attitudes towards waste work, creates a complex governance environment in which solutions are far from obvious. This article traces social, political and institutional change in the SWM systems of the two cities through a comparative, interdisciplinary analysis anchored in three governance arenas: institutional and policy frameworks,the roles and agency of key actors, and everyday waste practices. Despite substantial institutional differences, we find that service levels and waste workers’ livelihoods are similar. While both cities have moved towards an integrated approach to SWM,imported principles and best practices have not been adequately contextualised. Addressing governance disconnects will depend less on technical fixes than on the public authorities’ ability to place-based, constructive interaction between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ actors and practices
Constructive · Corporate governance · Environmental governance · Livelihood · Politics · Public service · Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability · Healthcare and Environmental Waste Management · Municipal Solid Waste Management
What a Waste 2.0
What a Waste
The Case for Regional Development Intervention
The everyday politics of waste collection practice in Addis Ababa (2003–2009)
Infrastructure governance in the post-networked city
Social structures of urban governance
Trust in a rent-seeking world
Formal and Informal Actors in Addis Ababa’s Solid Waste Management System
Role of informal sector recycling in waste management in developing countries
Relational place‐making
Dealing with Dirt and the Disorder of Development
Networked Urban Governance
Can Urban Regimes Travel in Time and Space? Urban Regime Theory, Urban Governance Theory, and Comparative Urban Politics
Contracting or Public Delivery? The Importance of Service, Market, and Management Characteristics
Choice of Organizational Form Makes a Real Difference
A Public Management for All Seasons
Governance on the Ground
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |