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  • Perspective
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Advancing a slum–circular economy model for sustainability transition in cities of the Global South

Nature Sustainability volume 6, pages 1304–1311 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

The circular economy (CE) is touted to have the potential to support the much-needed shift away from the current linear production and consumption economic model. However, many of the discussions on the CE have overlooked cities in the Global South, casting their pervasive slums as enclaves of socio-environmental problems and a barrier to sustainable development. In this Perspective, we highlight subaltern circularity in the Global South, developing a slum–CE theoretical model that illuminates how the practices underlying slum life intersect with the key principles of the CE. The findings of this Perspective offer directions for future slum–CE research and policy in cities in the Global South.

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Fig. 1: The elements underpinning the CE in slums.
Fig. 2: Propositions to support future research on the slum–CE nexus.

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Acknowledgements

We express our sincere appreciation to the reviewers for their insightful comments and reviews.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Australasian Centre for Resilience Implementation for Sustainable Communities, Faculty of Health, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

    Matthew Abunyewah

  2. School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia

    Matthew Abunyewah

  3. Business and Accounting Discipline, Faculty of Arts and Society, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

    Michael Odei Erdiaw-Kwasie

  4. Circular Economy Research Group, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

    Michael Odei Erdiaw-Kwasie

  5. College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, University of Arizona, Arizona, AZ, USA

    Seth Asare Okyere

  6. Division of Global Architecture, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan

    Seth Asare Okyere

  7. Department of Urban Policy and Planning, Hunter College, New York, NY, USA

    Festival Godwin Boateng

  8. Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization, New York, NY, USA

    Festival Godwin Boateng

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  1. Matthew Abunyewah
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Contributions

M.A., M.O.E.-K., S.A.O. and F.G.B. contributed to the conception, design, framework and writing of the paper. All authors discussed and contributed to the revisions of the paper.

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Correspondence to Matthew Abunyewah.

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Abunyewah, M., Erdiaw-Kwasie, M.O., Okyere, S.A. et al. Advancing a slum–circular economy model for sustainability transition in cities of the Global South. Nat Sustain 6, 1304–1311 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01176-8

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