Solid waste and drainage blockage in Karachi

High severity. Serious, widespread effects requiring sustained action. Severity is descriptive editorial metadata summarising documented effects. It is not a measured index or a score.

1. 01

   Incomplete collection coverage

   Formal collection does not reach every neighbourhood, leaving waste to accumulate or be dumped informally.

2. 02

   Plastic in drainage channels

   Lightweight plastic waste migrates into stormwater drains and natural channels, reducing their capacity.

3. 03

   Encroachment on natural drains

   Construction on and alongside natural watercourses narrows the space available for flood flow.

1. 01

   Urban flooding

   Blocked channels reduce drainage capacity, so monsoon rainfall pools in streets and homes.

2. 02

   Public health risk

   Standing water and accumulated waste support disease vectors and contaminate flood water.

3. 03

   Air pollution from open burning

   Burning mixed waste releases particulates and toxic compounds into neighbourhood air.

4. 04

   Marine and coastal litter

   Waste carried by drains and creeks reaches the coastline and the Arabian Sea.

1. Extending collection coverage

   Expanding formal collection, including integration of informal waste workers, to underserved areas.

   Expected effectReduces the volume of waste reaching drains and open dumps.

2. Drain clearing before monsoon

   Systematic pre-season desilting and clearing of stormwater channels.

   Expected effectRestores channel capacity ahead of peak rainfall.

3. Reducing single-use plastics

   Regulation and alternatives to reduce the lightweight plastics most likely to block drains.

   Expected effectCuts the material most responsible for blockage and coastal litter.

Collection coverage

No verified figure

Reliable city-wide collection coverage figures are contested; qualitative reporting consistently describes significant uncollected volumes.

1. [1]What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050World Bank · Sept 2018openknowledge.worldbank.org(opens in a new tab)

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