Managing Waste in India with Foresight

With rising prosperity and urbanisation in emerging anddeveloping economies there has been a rapid expansion of wastegeneration. India, with an urban population of 377 million that is expectedto reach 590 million by 2030, is also facing an unprecedented challenge ofwaste management. Significant uncertainties about the future trajectoriesof waste management exist, including the concept of waste as a resource and the role of the informal sector. This article describes an analytical framework that combines foresight and political economy methods used in a multi-stakeholder workshop setting to develop future scenarios for the sector. The process provides insights to increase participation in waste management policymaking in India by opening up the process beyond expert committees. The use of foresight tools with political economy analysis has the potential to democratise the policymaking process of waste management in India for the inclusion of all stakeholders and particularly the informal sector.