Municipal solid waste management: The case of İzmir Metropoliten Municipality

Solid waste is an environmental and an administrative problem across world's large and growing urban population. Municipal solid waste management is major responsibility of local governments. Solid waste management and its implications form a rapidly growing subject of interest in city management context. It is a complex task which requires appropriate organizational capacity, partnership and cooperation among numerous stakeholders in the public, private and civil society sectors. Solid waste management is a local issue. However, especially, legal, economical and financial aspects of the subject bring forward the solid waste management issues in developing countries on the local, regional, national, international and supranational agendas. Local governments, municipalities need to develop creative strategies, plans and programs dealing with solid wastes. It, also, is a pressing issue. The environmental, technical and economical aspects are becoming pressing issues of the management of solid wastes. On the other hand, solid waste management planning and implementation process is a great opportunity for the city administrations and residents to practice "urban governance" as a new administrative approach. This complex task is still carried out by most municipalities in insufficient statutory, institutional, organizational, technical, financial and social context. There is a great need of participatory and applicable practices in Turkey. The dissertation aims to develop a participatory solid waste management system that will be the first initiative in Izmir metropolitan area and nationwide with its participatory and applicable context. The establishing of "The General Directorate of Solid Waste Management" has, also, been suggested in the dissertation. Local Agenda 21 initiatives are the best appropriate platforms to come together and work together. In developing local action, the main base for the "Participatory-Responsible Model" is the current Local Agenda 21 expertise and experiences in the city of Izmir. The co-orporative and participatory social and administrative climate of the city will be helpful for planning and coordinating related efforts. VI