Energy Forum recognizes that systems developed for waste management in developed countries are not necessarily the solution to waste management in developing countries. For example, waste management systems in developed countries tend to be very capital intensive, using complicated technologies. In contrast, in developing countries it may be more appropriate to adopt labour intensive systems with lower capital costs. Though traditionally seen in a negative light, waste can also be seen as a potential source of income with positive benefits for those involved in waste management. Energy Forum has therefore elected to use an approach termed Integrated Sustainable Waste Management (ISWM) which considers the issue of waste management from a wider perspective than conventional approaches by looking at the system as a whole.

Conventional approaches to waste management assessment and planning tend not lead to very sustainable results due to a number of reasons:

• In many cases recommendations are not appropriate to the local circumstances
• Local people and organizations do not feel responsible for the outcomes
• Local knowledge is ignored

Integrated Sustainable Waste Management Model

The concept of integrated sustainable waste management tries to overcome these barriers through recognizing three important dimensions in waste management:

ISWM seeks the participation of stakeholders such as citizens, local authorities, private sector actors and civil society actors at all levels of society (household, community, city etc). Only in this way can approaches be suitably tailored to the specific context. The involvement of stakeholders in the planning and implementation process leads to a sense of ownership and a willingness to continue efforts over the long term and is therefore a key element to ensuring sustainability.

ISWM takes a holistic approach by looking at the waste process from "cradle to grave", including minimization of waste generation and resource recovery as well as the different waste collection and treatment options, with the last step being the environmentally sound disposal of waste.

Rather than simply considering technical issues relating to the management of waste, ISWM aims to find a system that is well-suited to the local context and is therefore appropriate and viable for the social, economic, political and environmental conditions in question. This is what will make the system sustainable for the long term.