Women, Waste, and Decentralised Urban Environmental Governance: A Comparative Analysis of Haritha Karma Sena and Global Community-Based Waste Management Models

Author(s)	Mr. Sachu P S, Prof. Dr. Sukhdev Singh
Country	India
Abstract	This paper examines Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) in Kerala alongside community-based waste systems in other countries to compare women’s inclusion, financial sustainability, and environmental benefits. It finds that HKS is effective in integrating women into public waste governance, but faces challenges such as low compensation, fee collection issues, infrastructure gaps, and stigma. Recent state data show strong livelihood and service impacts, with significant waste collection and income generation. The paper concludes that HKS can be adapted to urban areas only as a full institutional package with women’s collectives, municipal support, user-fee legitimacy, sorting infrastructure, and reliable recovery systems.
Keywords	Haritha Karma Sena, Kudumbashree, decentralised waste management, women’s empowerment, community-based waste systems, circular economy, urban environmental governance
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-07-31
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.84602

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