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Photo: Patrik Zapata/GU
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Grassroots for Sustainability

Research group
Active research
Website
Recycling network on Facebook
Project period
2017 - ongoing
Project owner
María José Zapata Campos, Gothenburg Research Institute (GRI)
Area
Sustainability and environment Society and economy
Topic
Business Administration Sociology Political Science

Short description

The research group Grassroots for Sustainability explore how grassroots networks, initiatives and practices, initiatives, networks and practices promote grassroots resilience, and contribute to reduce both the adverse impact of cities on climate and environmental change on community, city and societal levels.

Projects

Participatory innovation videos for an inclusive and sustainable waste management (Patrik Zapata and María José Zapata Campos (GU), Communicators Ulrika Naezer and John Chweya; researchers Jutta Gutberlet, Sebastián Carenzo, Michael Oloko and Goodluck Charles

Financed by FORMAS, 1,75 mSEK. (2020-2022)

Waste picker
Photo: Patrik Zapata/GU

Recycling networks – grassroots resilience tackling climate, environmental and poverty challenges, Maria José Zapata (head of project, Patrik Zapata, School of Public Administration (GU), Jaan-Henrik Kain, Chalmers, Michael O. Oloko, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Uuniversity of science and technology, Kisumu, Kenya, Jessica Perez Reynosa, Universidad centroamericana de Nicaragua i Managua, Goodluck Charles, University of Dar es Salaam i Tanzania, Sebastián Carenzo, University of Buenos Aires i Argentina och Jutta Gutberlet, University of Victoria i Kanada. Financed by the Swedish Research Council: 5,4 mSEK.

Navigate to video: The Recycling Networks & Waste Governance Conference in Dar es Salaam 2019
Video (8:31)
The Recycling Networks & Waste Governance Conference in Dar es Salaam 2019
The International Recycling Networks & Waste Governance Conference in Dar es Salaam 2019

Compact cities and informal settlements - Exploring qualities, drivers and strategies for promoting sustainable urban development, María José Zapata, GRI GU (head of project), Jaan-Henrik Kain, and Jenny Stenberg, Chalmers University, and Michael Oloko, University of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in Kisumu, Kenya, Patrik Zapata, GU, financed by Formas, 3 mSEK.

María José Zapata Campos, Gothenburg Research Institute (GRI)
Photo: Patrik Zapata

Grassroots initiatives, institutional entrepreneurship and inclusive urban governance: transforming the city from below María José Zapata, GRI GU (head of project), Jaan-Henrik Kain, Chalmers University, Michael Oloko, University of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in Kisumu, Kenya, Patrik Zapata GU, financed by ICLD.se

Combating poverty and building democracy through the co-production of participatory waste management services. The case of Kisumu, Kenya, María José Zapata, GRI GU (head of project), Jaan-Henrik Kain, Chalmers University, and Michael Oloko, University of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in Kisumu, Kenya, Patrik Zapata, GU. Financed by ICLD.se, 1,7 mSEK.

Improving basic urban services in informal settlements - Linking waste research in global South cities (Patrik Zapata GU head of project), with Jutta Gutberlet (Sao Paolo University,Brazil and Victoria University, Canada), Michael Oloko (University of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in Kisumu, Kenya), and María José Zapata Campos (GRI, GU), 0.7 mSEK.

 

Research Team

• Jutta Gutberlet, Professor in Geography, University of Victoria, Canada, and Federal University of the ABC Region in São Paulo, Brazil
• Jaan-Henrik Kain, Professor in Urban Transformation. Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.
• Michael O. Oloko, Senior lecturer in Environmental Engineering. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology Kisumu, Kenya.
• Goodluck Charles, Coordinator of Centre for Policy Research and Advocacy at the University of Dar es Salaam Business School, Tanzania.
• Jessica Pérez Reynosa, Associate professor in Business Administration, University of Central America, Nicaragua.
• Patrik Zapata, Professor in Public Administration, School of
Public Administration, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
• Sebastián Carenzo, researcher at CONICET; senior lecturer at the Institute for the Study of Science and Technology, National University of Quilmes, Argentina.
• María José Zapata, sociologist, Associate professor in Business
Administration, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, project leader.

Videos

Application, reports and press

Application (pdf)
Oloko, M (2019) INTERNATIONAL WASTE ACTORS’ PEER-TO-PEER WASTE TECHNOLOGY EXCHANGE (pdf)
Kain, JH, Oloko, M, Zapata, P, Zapata, MJ (2017) Co-production of Waste Management Services in Informal Settlements. Swedish Research Center for Local Democracy. ICLD: Malmö. ISBN 978-91-86725-24-2 (pdf)
Inclusive Waste governance and Grassroots Innovations for Social, Environmental and Economic Change, Göteborg: University of Gothenburg & Victoria University ISBN 978-91-984547-3-4 (pdf)
SUSTAINABLE WASTE COLLECTION AND RECYCLING FOR INCLUSIVE CITIES: REPORT ON UPDATED RESEARCH OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT RECYCLING NETWORKS & WASTE GOVERNANCE (pdf)
Citizen-driven initiatives for sustainability must be part of the city in practice - not just in brochures! (pdf)
The City of Gothenburg is scaling down these grassroots innovations for sustainability, when they could scale them up. A central location is important for citizen-driven initiatives promoting a genuine sharing economy from below. The municipal government seems to have forgotten that a city is more than shops and services. Neighbourhoods and their residents also need common spaces, non-commercial areas and room to socialize and be creative. The City of Gothenburg has, until recently, been at the forefront of waste prevention in Sweden, a role model for other municipalities and for national authorities. However, recent budget-cuts, and a lack of political will has imperilled social innovations that were built upon the collaboration between the civil society and the City.

Links

Research projects

Research project/group
Recycling Networks
Research project/group
Participatory filming

Presentations

Recycling Network Flyer (pdf)
Recycling Networks in one slide (pdf)
Recycling Networks poster (pdf)
International conference on recycling networks & waste governance in Dar es Salaam, April 2019 (pdf)
International Workshop 2019, Buenos Aires, Argentina (pdf)
Survey Recycling networks (pdf)
Waste Picker Organisations and Grassroots Innovations Survey Recycling networks (pdf)
Waste collection and recycling networks in Tanzania (pdf)
Inclusive waste management Managua Nicaragua (pdf)
Innovative practices on inclusive recycling networks Brazil (pdf)
Coleta seletiva Brasil (pdf)
KIPWA Taka Park a social enterprise innovation, 2018 (pdf)
KIWAN SACCO- A good practice in Waste actors federation (pdf)
KIWAN SACCO- A good practice in Waste actors federation, 2018 (pdf)
Waste Pickers and social innovations in Canada, 2018 (pdf)
Grassroots infrastructure Act Sustainable (pdf)
Environmental Grassroots Innovations for Act Sustainable presentation (pdf)
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