Abstract
This paper investigates the recently launched privatization of local solid waste management in Cairo, focusing on its adverse effects on the economy and on the urban settlement system of the Zabaleen garbage collectors’ communities. According to the official development strategy, the privatization of solid waste services is fundamental to overall government plans for the rehabilitation of areas of historical Cairo. But the objectives of the rehabilitation plans tend to favour business interests while threatening the interests of the local population. The findings of a study on the situation emphasize the significance of poverty alleviation initiatives in restructuring solid waste collection and developing the recycling industry, and the development of new channels for cooperation and partnership between the garbage collectors’ association (Gammiya), grassroots organizations, local authorities and multinational waste management companies. In order to promote sustainable livelihoods and better opportunities for the urban poor, the study emphasizes the need among the low-income Zabaleen to draw on the sustainable flow of local resources, while seeking new means of supporting land acquisition and its development for improved housing standards, basic services and environmental quality.