Review and refine scientific analyses and findings
Partnerships for co-creation of knowledge and research
Empower cities to act, raise ambition, and scale implementation
Awareness-raising on a specific topic, method, and/or output
Capacity building in climate science data and analyses
Dr
Urban waste systems are increasingly recognised as critical to climate mitigation, yet responses in many African cities remain framed as technical or infrastructural challenges rather than legal and ethical obligations. International human rights law, including the right to health and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, positions effective waste governance as a fundamental responsibility of states. However, in many African cities, waste management continues to be treated as a luxury of modern urban systems rather than a right owed to citizens.
This session examines whether African cities are responding to waste and climate change through a rights-based governance lens or through resource-constrained service delivery models that prioritise efficiency over justice. Drawing on comparative insights from Pretoria, Accra and Nairobi, the session explores how landfill pressures, emerging waste streams, and limited municipal capacity shape the realisation of environmental rights.
By integrating urban governance, climate mitigation, and human rights frameworks, the session contributes to debates on how cities can advance equitable and rights-based climate action.
Kundani Makakavhule
