Patarét – from Waste Management to Risk Policy
Patarét – from Waste Management to Risk Policy

Author(s): Barna Bodó, Ibolya Lakatos
Subject(s): Geography, Regional studies, Environmental Geography
Published by: Scientia Kiadó
Keywords: waste management;Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár);Patarat
Summary/Abstract: In our study, we examine the waste management of a large city, more specifically how the situation of Cluj-Napoca’s landfill has evolved over the past period. “Patarét” is a negative example; it perfectly illustrates the types and possible ways of handling environmental problems, and the functioning of local politics. In this context, “waste management” is characterized by a “risk policy” that cannot really provide good responses to emerging issues.Our research and study are based on three research methods. We rely primarily on media analysis as a possible technique and methodology of content analysis. In addition to revealing what happened, press review is also a good way of capturing local public life and local politics because the presented topics as well as the issues held on the agenda give a lot of clues about the local conditions. Press review covers two things in this paper: our statements related to waste management are based on press releases, sources, and official websites. In addition, press was examined not only as a source, but we were also wondering in what contexts these subjects are presented and what interpretations are given. These sources were complemented by the experiences of our fieldwork and the results of a non-representative questionnaire. Our study meets the requirements of a case study, as the situation of Patarét (Pata Rât) is described and analysed as an example of waste management in Cluj-Napoca and Cluj County.

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