The Cities Cluster on Waste Management, Green Cities, and Renewable Energy offers a space for knowledge sharing and collaboration between cities partners of the Global South on how to ensure effective waste management through universal collection and safe treatment, building greener cities, and promoting renewable energy such as biomass. Concerns about waste management are looming larger in developing countries that have not developed adequate waste management policies or systems, trash collection services, or government institutions to effectively manage their wastes. Innovative waste management strategies can be an effective way to address complex urban issues including rising greenhouse gas emissions, unsanitary public spaces, growing energy demand, and limited space, and achieve cleanliness and environmental sustainability. Enabled by treatment technologies, wastes can be converted to energies, including electricity, heat, fuel, and other usable materials.

In 2022, under the framework of the same pilot project, the Cities Project has witnessed the signing of SoI between Koidu and Kushtia, Bangladesh, and the constant improvement of local partners’ capacity in waste management. During the process of facilitating exchanges and pilot projects, the Cities Project has perceived substantial needs for developing cities in improving their waste management. Therefore, the Cities Project will continue facilitating the exchanges and knowledge transfer between city partners and organizations and hopes to broker more partnerships between partners.

The Cities Project welcomes city partners interested in participating in this Cities Cluster on Waste Management, Green City and Renewable Energy and hopes the knowledge exchanged here leads to more South-South cooperation and a swift post-pandemic social and economic recovery.