Breaking the vicious cycle: asbestos-cement waste management in post-conflict Kosovo

This study employs a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach to investigate systemic failures in asbestos-cement (AC) waste management in Kosovo from 2020 to 2025, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 11, 12, and 13. Despite EU-aligned legislation, Kosovo recorded zero metric tons of officially disposed asbestos waste throughout these 6 years, indicating widespread illegal dumping and systemic collapse. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 28 stakeholders and a comprehensive documentary review identifies political neglect, infrastructural deficits, prohibitive costs, and low public awareness as interlocking barriers. Benchmarking against Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia reveals Kosovo as a regional outlier, lacking any operational hazardous waste disposal infrastructure, licensed contractors, national inventory, or measurable progress since 2020. The study proposes actionable solutions: engineered landfill cells with composite liner systems, mandatory pre-demolition asbestos surveys integrated into building permits, a state-subsidised abatement fund, and targeted risk communication grounded in behavioural science. These integrated measures directly support SDG 11 (sustainable urbanisation) and SDG 12 (sound chemicals and waste management), while contributing to SDG 3 (health) and SDG 13 (climate resilience), offering a transferable model for post-conflict regions facing hazardous legacy waste and governance failures.