Policy analysis on municipal solid waste management in Dhaka South City Corporation, Bangladesh: A qualitative study

Study design

The study adopted an exploratory qualitative approach. Data were generated through document reviews and key informant interviews (KIIs) conducted from September 2016 to January 2017.

Conceptual framework

For the retrospective policy analysis, the policy analysis triangle framework²² (Figure 1) was used; the constructs of which are:

Figure 1. Policy triangle framework.²²

Data collection

Document review

The reviewed documents included published reports, research or evaluation articles, guidelines, strategic white papers, and policy documents. The academic databases Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed were searched using terms such as “municipal solid waste management,” “Dhaka South City Corporation,” and “Bangladesh.” The Bangladesh Waste Management Board and the Dhaka South City Corporation’s official website were consulted as government registers and databases pertaining to waste management. The websites of international organizations such as the World Bank, United Nations Develop Program (UNDP), and Asian Development Bank (ADB), as well as local organizations and NGOs such as Waste Concern and WMAB, were investigated. In addition to examining the reference lists of identified documents, additional sources, including government publications, policy memoranda, conference proceedings, and grey literature, were considered. Utilizing pertinent keywords, subject headings, and Boolean operators (e.g., AND, OR) were utilized to refine search results. To determine if a document met the inclusion criteria, we reviewed the document fully. Multiple evaluators participated in the screening process, evaluating each record and report independently. Consensus meetings were conducted to resolve any disagreements and ensure that documents were consistently included. Multiple reviewers were involved in accumulating data from reports, and they worked independently to extract pertinent information. When clarification or additional information was required, attempts were also made to contact the study’s investigators to obtain the necessary information. Documents related to medical wastes were excluded because these require specialized treatment, and their processing and disposal are distinct from MSW in general. At the beginning of the review, the research team compiled a preliminary list, which was supplemented by suggestions from the key informants and reference tracking of published articles. The relevant parts of the policy documents written in Bengali were translated into English. The list of documents reviewed is provided in Table 1.

Key informant interviews (KIIs)

Initially, the sampling method was purposive, with the snowball technique added as the interviews progressed. The interviews were conducted from 18^th to 20^th December 2017. The KIIs were conducted using a semi-structured interview guideline supplemented by qualitative probing. Eight SWM officials from the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), the Department of Environment (DoE), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), with at least one year of working experience, were included in the study. A breakdown of the key informants is provided in Table 2.

Members of the research team conducted all face-to-face interviews at the respondents’ offices in their preferred language. The majority of responses were given in Bangla, the local language, while others preferred English. The interviews were recorded using a digital audio recorder with the respondents’ permission. Additionally, handwritten notes were taken to prevent data loss in case of technical error. Following the interview, respondents were requested to introduce the research team to their colleagues and other relevant officials involved with the policy processes. The average duration of the interview was half an hour. Based on the suggestions and recommendations from the primary sets of key informants, we interviewed officials from JICA and DoE.

Data analysis

After the interview, two research assistants transcribed the data into English within 24 hours of data collection. Data familiarization was done through repeated readings. A priori codes were prepared before the data collection. A quotation from each transcription was used to cluster and compose the data display matrix in order to identify the policy analysis framework components. Prior to the data collection, a set of priority codes was developed, and information was entered into each code. During the data familiarization process, which consisted of reading and rereading the transcripts, additional subcodes and inductive codes were determined. Finally, thematic analysis was done using a manual coding technique. Texts were organized across the following themes: i. Policy Context, ii. Policy Actors and iii. Policy Processes. Quotations were extracted to substantiate the thematic analysis. To increase validity, the first and the last authors independently coded the two transcripts, calibrated the coding according to the codebook’s definitions, and consulted whenever any confusion occurred.

Ethical approval and consent

As the study was a master’s thesis, no individual ethical approval number was provided. Instead, an interim board of reviewers, consisting of members from the regular IRB of the BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, reviewed all the students’ thesis proposals, provided necessary comments, and approved the proposals for data collection after ensuring that ethical issues were adequately addressed. Permission from DSCC authorities and written informed consent from all the respondents were taken, and the study’s purpose, potential benefits, and risks were explained. Confidentiality and anonymity were maintained, and interviewees possessed the right to withdraw from the interview at any time.

Context

During the independence of Bangladesh, there was no policy on environmental issues. The Planning Commission of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) started the First Five-Year Plan of Bangladesh (1973-1978) without any sectoral chapter on the environment. This trend continued until the Third Five-Year Plan of Bangladesh (1985-1990). The first mention of the environment is found in the Fourth Five-Year Plan of Bangladesh (1990-1995), ‘Environment and Sustainable Development,’ not as a sectoral chapter but as an introductory macro chapter. The environment found a place for the first time as a sectoral chapter in the Sixth Five-Year Plan (2011-2015). Since then, Bangladesh’s government policy documents have included objectives, timelines for proposed activities, and budgetary allocations for MSW. Apart from the Five-Year Plans, an ordinance of environmental pollution control was a valuable step in the 1980s toward prioritizing environmental protection nationally.^23–27 The National Environmental Policy, approved in 1992, was a pioneering framework to express the government’s commitment to environmental issues.^27–30 Thereafter, establishing the Department of Environment Pollution Control (DEPC) was an important sequence for promoting environmental protection in the country. The latest initiative at the time of data collection was drafting the National SWM Regulations, which was published in 2021. A key informant said,

Meanwhile, important initiatives for the MSW management in Dhaka were taken by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2005. In 2010, the DoE developed the National 3R Strategy for Waste Management with support from the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) and the Ministry of Environment of the Government of Japan. After certain improvements in SWM, JICA developed another four-year plan. After completing that project in 2017, they began a new project for the next fifteen years to enhance the MSW sector in Bangladesh, particularly in the capital city. A key informant from DSCC said,

The major policy events related to MSW in Bangladesh since its independence are shown in the timeline (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Major policy events on MSW in Bangladesh.

Actors

Bangladesh’s main actors in relation to MSW policy-making are the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Department of Environment (DoE), and the Planning Commission. Other relevant ministries, consultants, bureaucrats, and environmental NGOs like the Forum of the Environmental Journalists of Bangladesh (FEJB), Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS), Association of Development Agencies of Bangladesh (ADAB), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Coastal Area Resource Development and Management Association (CARDMA) have been involved in MSW management. JICA has been providing funding and technical support for the last decade. Additionally, JICA advocated for policy development, especially the National SWM Regulations. The DoE under the MoEFCC is primarily responsible for initiating policy processes, such as developing the primary draft and finalizing the version of the policies that are suitable for publication. As such, the DoE organized formal meetings with the cabinet, other pertinent ministries, and relevant stakeholders in developing the National SWM Regulations. A key informant said,

However, in regard to implementing the policies, the key informants named the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (MoLGRD&C) as the primary stakeholder. The city corporations, under the jurisdiction of MoLGRD&C, are responsible for MSW management. The capital city of Dhaka is divided into two city corporations, and our study area’s MSW management was the responsibility of the DSCC. A respondent said,

Processes

MSW management requires multisectoral collaboration. DoE under the MoEFCC is entrusted with policy-making related to SWM. On the other hand, MSW management is the responsibility of the city corporations, such as the DSCC. MoLGRD&C is a large ministry that oversees city corporations, with multiple responsibilities, ranging from organizing local government elections to providing primary healthcare to urban residents. Health-related issues pertaining to MSW fall under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s (MoHFW’s) jurisdiction. These ministries are unable to prioritize their coordination with other ministries due to their diverse responsibilities. A key informant said,

Due to the relatively recent occurrence of rapid urbanization, GoB agencies lack the technical expertise to address MSW challenges. MSW is a complex issue involving climate change, environmental pollution, waste management technologies, management approaches, health problems, and governance. Aligning different dimensions of MSW is too complicated for the GoB to manage by itself and therefore, it depends on bilateral and multilateral agencies for technical support, which is prone to rendering the GoB donor dependent. A respondent said,

MSW management demands large landfill sites, incinerators, recycling plants, dump trucks, storage and treatment tanks, etc. As Bangladesh is a populous country, finding adequate space, especially in urban areas, presents a significant challenge. Furthermore, the chronic funding shortage leads to deficient equipment and logistics support for MSW management. Reflecting on this issue, a key informant said,

Public policies in Bangladesh are usually formulated by a ‘top-down’ approach, hardly involving the community, civil society, and national and international NGOs. This issue is even more pronounced in Bangladesh’s MSW management, as there is insufficient public attention to this issue. Since this issue has traditionally been away from public discussion, ensuring people’s awareness and spontaneous participation is a challenge. Highlighting the importance of citizen participation, a key informant said,