Waste Pickers in Dhaka: Using the Sustainable Livlihoods Approach

THIS BOOK CONSISTS OF TWO PARTS, “key findings” and “field notes”. Part I starts with some general background information describing the low status of waste pickers, usually (but not exclusively) young boys aged between seven and 14. Next comes a brief description of the sustainable livelihoods approach, introducing four of its core concepts, each of which is then covered in more detail in the following sections.
First, “vulnerability context” describes shocks which can destroy assets, including ill-health, insecure or damaged housing, lack of tenure, financial shocks due to marriage or funerals, and incidents arising from lack of personal safety, and describes coping mechanisms which pickers have developed to overcome these. Pickers were affected by seasonality, suffering lean periods in the rainy season and better pickings at the time of the Eid religious festival.
Second, “asset profiles” describes how pickers are affected by various forms of capital: human capital (which is adequate in their current positions but insufficient to improve or change their livelihoods); social capital (principally pickers' relationships with dealers); natural capital (lacking in an urban setting); physical capital (poor living conditions); and financial capital (low incomes but surprisingly high opportunities for saving).
Third, “transforming structures and processes” discusses briefly the lack of access to structures such as the legal system, and also how improved waste management and government decisions on land affect both pickers’ access to livelihoods and the security of their homes.
Lastly, “livelihood strategies and outcomes” shows how some pickers engage in other livelihood activities, provided minimal capital input is available for that activity. Pickers were interviewed in groups and results showed that aspirations were
ranked according to perceived importance. These were small groups and the authors of the study do not attempt to draw major conclusions from them.
Part I concludes with a discussion on the appropriateness of the sustainable livelihoods approach as a tool, concluding that it is broadly appropriate but only in the hands of skilled users. Finally, the authors introduce ideas for future research arising
from this study. Part II consists of field notes and describes the research and methodology, including more detailed descriptions of some of the participants in the study. Problems of communication, and choice of whom to study, are discussed as well as other factors
relating to the fieldwork which may have implications for the findings. The book finishes with a bibliography.