Governance during a time of crisis: Addressing the waste crisis in Naples, Italy

Abstract

The Naples waste crisis hit world headlines almost three decades ago and brought to global public attention the intersection of municipal services clashing with questions of waste management. The situation was mired in a complex social reality and more generally provided a window into the deprivation of services in the Italian South. While largely considered a problem that was resolved, the lessons and residue of this crisis are still a matter of current debate. The purpose/focus of this paper is to examine the governance of the waste management problems s and how it evolved during the crisis. Central to this issue is the manner in which multilevel governance operated in this crisis, and how it manifested in the process and resolution of the issues involved. This paper also examines whether there was any input from civil society and to what extent this occurred. With different levels of institutional authority involved, this case study manifested a web of contrasting responsibilities both in vertical structures as well as different political strategies. The authorities involved in oversight of waste management included the European Union, the national government as well as regional, provincial and local governments. The management of this crisis provides important lessons for the future and provides a case study of multilevel governance. The case study for this research is the Naples waste management crisis, which was in the public arena between 2001 and 2009.

The purpose of this paper is not only to understand the waste crisis in Naples but to ascertain the governance mechanism and the inter-connectedness of the local, regional, national and even the European Union (EU) involvement in providing resolution to this crisis. The study included examination of the literature on the subject alongside an online focus group comprising four eminent Italian experts on waste management and in particular their understanding and appreciation of the Naples waste crisis. Their observations, some of which were drawn from/based on direct involvement in the specific crisis, are both critical to providing expert and context-based commentary.