Solid Waste & Circularity

The world is at a critical juncture in managing its mounting volumes of waste. Rapid population growth, accelerating urbanization, rising incomes, and increased consumption are driving a surge in municipal solid waste generation that is outpacing the capacity of local systems and municipal budgets. As a result, cities and communities worldwide are struggling to keep up.

The world generated 2.56 billion tonnes of municipal waste in 2022. Without major policy and investment shifts, annual volumes could grow by 50% to 3.86 billion tonnes by 2050.

High-income countries produce the most waste on a per capita basis. Despite comprising 16% of the global population, high-income countries generated 29% of the world's volume of waste in 2022.

One-third of all waste produced globally is dumped or goes uncollected. While high-income regions report collection rates close to 100%, low-income countries collect only 28% of their waste.

When waste is not managed well, the consequences are far reaching: environmental pollution intensifies, greenhouse gas emissions rise, and valuable natural resources are wasted. These threaten public health and the environment and undermine economic development and the livability of cities.

Yet, within the crises lies an opportunity. By investing in more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable waste management systems, countries can unlock new avenues for economic growth, job creation, and innovation. Improved waste management systems that embrace circular economy principles, where materials are reused and value is retained, can transform waste from a burden into a driver of sustainable development, benefiting both local communities and the global environment.

Land access is also critical for infrastructure and climate action. Major projects require significant land resources, and half of all climate actions under the Paris Agreement depend on land management. Secure rights empower communities, reduce vulnerability, and enable balanced spatial planning that protects social and environmental values.

Indigenous Peoples’ lands are especially important, containing half of the transition minerals needed for net zero emissions and a third of key biodiversity areas. However, only half of Indigenous land rights are formally recognized, making protection of these rights vital for justice, conservation, and sustainable management.

Rising demand, insecure tenure, and competing land needs pose serious challenges. Achieving land tenure security for all is essential for ending poverty and ensuring a livable planet.

As the world’s largest financier of land tenure security, land administration, and land management, the World Bank is investing $2.9 billion in loans, technical assistance and analytics for improving land rights and access across 45 countries.

Our projects support land reforms and administration, spatial data and planning, and property markets. Digitalization, inclusion, and gender equality are core crosscutting themes. Our land program focuses on four key areas:

1. Land Tenure Security: Strengthening land policies, laws, registration, and regularization to improve the land tenure security of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and public and private owners
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2. Women’s Land Rights: Improving women's access to land ownership and control, advancing the global Stand for Her Land Campaign
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3. Land and Geospatial System Digitalization: Digitizing and integrating geospatial data, land and building records, development plans, property valuation, and taxation systems
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4. Land Use and Access: Supporting the planning, regularization, and management of land, including delivering planned, serviced land for housing, infrastructure, energy, and climate action.

Our ambitious targets for the next five years include ensuring greater tenure security for 100 million people, including 40 million women; developing climate-sensitive land use plans in hundreds of urban areas; and improving land administration and access in 20 countries.

• Land 2030 Global Partnership
• Stand For Her Land Campaign