Sustainable SWM in Developing Countries Focusing on Faster Growing Economies, India and China

Abstract

The waste management is a major issue in most of the developing countries in the globe. India and China are two faster growing economies who also have similar problems to handle huge amount of municipal solid waste (MSW). Moreover, with the population growth and the increasing GDP, the MSW generation rate is increasing proportionately. Both the countries investing a loads of funds in landfill sites, MSW handling and treatment, but still the problem is not resolved. The main hurdle is the awareness of the citizen and poor institutional initiative all through the country, in general. There are a number of good initiatives, of course. This study aims to explore the present situation of the management of MSW and analyse the sustainability of the initiatives to protect the environment and resource utilisation leading to the least amount of landfill in India and China.