Problem Statement:

Pakistan generates approximately 49.6 million tons of solid waste a year, which has been increasing more than 2.4 percent annually. Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, generates more than 16,500 tons of municipal waste daily. Most municipal waste is either burned on vacant lots, which contributes to global emissions and heavy air pollution for nearby communities, or dumped on ocean shores, which in turn impacts marine ecosystems and livelihoods of fishermen communities. So, waste eventually ends up contributing to climate change, environment degradation, biodiversity loss and health hazards. 

 

One of the important contributors to this issue is low public awareness. This is a two pronged issue:

1. General lack of concern from citizens about where their waste ends up and the dire consequences of the issue. Many don't seem to care, as long as the waste issue is not affecting them directly. 


2. Information gap about impactful waste initiatives, which are contributing positively to make communities waste free in Karachi. Bridging this gap might provide avenues for average citizens to contribute positively and increase support for such impactful organizations. 

 

Target Group:

General public, policymakers, community leaders, stakeholders in the waste sector.

 

Proposed Solution:

This project has been awarded $3,000 grant through the Climate Reality incubator program. The hub will work on increasing public awareness through the project as behaviorial change in local citizens is at the core of the societal shift required to tackle the issue of waste. The team will produce a research-led documentary focusing on the value chain of waste in Karachi along with the issues, stakeholders (including recycling/eco-initiatives) involved, parties impacted (human and animal communities), behavioral changes required in citizens and finally a pledge action call to public for future waste initiatives like cleanup drives.

 

Hub Activities:

For the first two months, the project will primarily focus on research where environmental and health experts, community leaders of primarily the waste-affected areas, different stakeholders of the waste sector, local policymakers, thinktanks and more such entities will be engaged to help devise the strategy of documentary as well as how it gets marketed.

 

Short-Term Goals/Results:

1. Primary research that will include preliminary research and engagement with relevant stakeholders to help devise the strategy of the documentary as well as onboard documentary partners and finalize the layout


2. Producing the documentary with shooting onsite, interviews and testimonials


3. Screening the documentary in educational institutes/community centers as well as marketing the documentary via social media platforms/news channels and influencers


4. Preparing a comparative analysis report on the impact of documentary on the public via a baseline - endline surveys and FDGs


5. An optional milestone will be producing a policy document with recommendations for Karachi’s waste sector with the help of stakeholders

 

Long-Term Goals/Results:

After implementing this project, the hub will start with other phases of the project that include clean up drives, mangrove forestation and community mobilization trainings.

 

Available Metrics:

 To ensure practicality and impact, the project team has set the following impact metrics for the project:

• #1,000 people reached through documentary views on social media platforms


• #50 people reached through physical screenings conducted at 2 venues


• #50 people mobilized for Global Shaper Karachi Hub’s future climate action activities through pledge options on social media and physical screenings,


• #1 educational institute partnered with for Global Shaper Karachi Hub’s future climate action activities


• #PKR 10,000 (USD 50) funds raised for Global Shaper Karachi Hub’s future climate action activities


• #impact assessment conducted through focus group discussions and baseline-endline surveys with a sample size of 30 people

 

Collaborators:

The hub will be partnering with key players working in the space such as Trashit (waste collector and recycler) and environmental/climate experts like Tofiq Pasha. Apart from these core partnerships, the hub will be engaging with the following entities for research as well as documentary phase including but not limited to: a) waste collectors/recyclers like GarbageCan, Sindh Solid Waste Management and Scavenger network, b) affected communities near landfill sites or waste-polluted coastal shores, c) educational institutes/community centers like IBA Karachi and Art Council, d) Ministry of Climate Change, e) environmental experts, f) health experts from hospitals, and g) local government officials.