Municipal Solid Waste Management in India: Policy and Technology Pathways for Climate Action
This deep-dive report on waste management presents a comprehensive analysis of India’s landfill sector, focusing on the critical intersection of waste, climate change, and public health through the lens of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). India’s rapidly growing waste generation, coupled with gaps in scientific disposal, has led to widespread reliance on landfills and dumpsites that emit significant quantities of methane (CH4), a potent SLCP with a global warming potential (GWP20) of 84 times as compare to that of carbon dioxide (CO2) over a period of 20 years. These emissions not only exacerbate climate change but also contribute to local air pollution and public health hazards.
The report explores integrated solutions to address landfill methane emissions and other SLCPs from the waste sector. It examines policy frameworks, behavioral drivers, and technologies that can transform waste management practices—from improved segregation and recycling to bio-mining of legacy waste and deployment of innovative biogas technologies.
The report is authored by Gateway Research and the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD) with support from IORA Ecological Solutions.
