Max-Neef’s Fundamental Human Needs as Social Indicators for Sustainability: Examples of Waste Management in South Africa

Disposable Diaper Usage and Disposal Practices in Samora Machel Township, South Africa

“…More than one-third (35.1%) of households had to rely on communal or household refuse dumps, whereas 1.6% of households had no facilities at all. Godfrey et al [10], Schenck et al [11], Kalina et al [12], and Rodseth et al [13] have ascribed the waste mismanagement performance of municipalities in South Africa to failures in governance and organizational weaknesses, inappropriate service delivery, and aspects such as corruption. Regrettably, little has changed over the years [9], so waste management services will probably continue to deteriorate [10][11][12][13].…”

“…Godfrey et al [10], Schenck et al [11], Kalina et al [12], and Rodseth et al [13] have ascribed the waste mismanagement performance of municipalities in South Africa to failures in governance and organizational weaknesses, inappropriate service delivery, and aspects such as corruption. Regrettably, little has changed over the years [9], so waste management services will probably continue to deteriorate [10][11][12][13]. To complicate matters, a major factor that is overlooked in waste management services delivery statistics is the backyard dwellers, or tenant population, who mainly reside in the townships of South Africa [14][15][16] and are not adequately serviced by municipalities.…”

“…Municipalities generally only deliver waste management services to formal homeowners as they pay the rates. Backyard dwellers are thus responsible for managing their own waste [11,[14][15][16] and dependent on the homeowner, whether they might use the waste facility provided by the municipality.…”

“…In the South African context, limited research has been conducted on the usage and disposal practices of AHPs and, in particular, on disposable diapers in the lower-income households in a high prevalence of backyarders and informal housing context. Studies have been conducted in rural areas by Sepadi [18], the Itumeleng youth project [17], Kordecki et al [2], and Schenck et al [11], and Schenck et al [3]. In this study, we aimed to explore the usage and disposal practices in the Samora Machel township in Cape Town, South Africa, a low-income area, in order to understand how users manage complex AHPs amidst insufficient service delivery and challenging living conditions.…”

“…Adaptive governance has theoretical foundations in the field of participatory approaches. Participatory approaches in particular focus on self-mobilization, creating a shared vision, resolving conflict, and building capacity toward a bottom-up selforganizing process [11,[24][25][26][27]].…”