Through the PLEASE Project, SACEP extends its commitment to working closely with its member states, ensuring well-coordinated and mutually reinforcing efforts to amplify impact and contribute to the global fight against plastic pollution. The PLEASE Project supports its Member Countries to reduce plastic waste and facilitate the transition of the region to a more circular plastic economy through leveraging Public and Private Sector Engagement and Solutions: Component 2.
The PLEASE Project has implemented the below Technical Assistance activities in the South Asia region.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INITIATIVES IN BHUTAN
On February 21, 2025, coinciding with His Majesty The King’s 45th birthday, Bhutan officially launched the Clean Thimphu – Clean Paro Initiative, strengthening its efforts in waste management and sustainability. This marks the second Technical Assistance (TA) under the PLEASE Project’s support to the Royal Government of Bhutan, reinforcing its commitment to practical waste solutions.
Led by the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) under the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the initiative is a collaboration between the Royal Government of Bhutan, Thimphu Thromde, and Paro Dzongkhag, with the Bhutan Ecological Society (BES) coordinating efforts. The initiative is funded by The World Bank through the PLEASE Project and implemented by the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) with support from UNOPS.
The initiative focuses on four key areas:
To improve existing waste management systems, the initiative will introduce smart waste bins, CCTV monitoring, and behavioral change campaigns in Thimphu and Paro, contributing to the Zero Waste Bhutan 2030 goal.
At the official launch, Lyonpo Gem Tshering, Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, emphasized the importance of collective action in addressing waste challenges, highlighting that this initiative goes beyond city cleanliness to promote long-term waste reduction habits.
Ahead of the launch, a panel discussion aired on BBS on February 20, 2025, where representatives from SACEP, Thimphu Thromde, Paro Dzongkhag, and DECC discussed the initiative’s long-term impact and sustainability.
The Clean Thimphu – Clean Paro Initiative is expected to serve as a model for similar programs across the country, strengthening Bhutan’s commitment to environmental conservation and responsible waste management.
Additionally, the PLEASE Project is supporting the Royal Government of Bhutan through another Technical Assistance (TA)—“Nationwide GIS Mapping of Waste Facilities, Data Collection of Waste Streams Inclusive of Plastic Waste, and GHG Emissions from the Waste Sector”—to update Bhutan’s NDC 3.0, with waste sector emissions assessments extending up to 2050.
These initiatives signal Bhutan’s continued leadership in sustainable waste management, paving the way for a cleaner and more responsible future.
Photo Credits: Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS)
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INITIATIVES IN NEPAL
Nepal’s First Comprehensive Plastic Inventory Data Collection Underway
The Technical Assistance (TA) for Nepal’s Plastic Inventory is now in progress, with data collection already underway. The process began in Tokha Municipality, where AVNI Ventures and Resources Advancement Team, the consulting firm responsible for implementing the TA, has been conducting a plastic waste composition analysis. This involves examining plastic waste at different points in the waste stream, including households, transfer stations, and dumpsites. Additionally, key informant interviews (KIIs) have been carried out with relevant stakeholders and actors involved in plastic waste management.
Government officials, including representatives from the Department of Environment, Ministry of Forests and Environment, have been actively engaged in overseeing parts of the data collection process. They have worked closely with the Mayor and officials of Tokha Municipality to support this initiative.
Once the data collection in Tokha is completed, the project will expand to cover all seven provinces of Nepal. Multiple field teams will be deployed simultaneously to ensure a thorough and comprehensive assessment. The information gathered will be compiled into a Plastic Inventory Report, which will provide detailed insights into Nepal’s plastic production, import, usage, and lifecycle across all seven polymer types. Additionally, the report will map plastic pollution sources and affected locations, with a particular focus on how plastics impact Nepal’s water streams.
This initiative is a crucial step toward developing data-driven policies and improving plastic waste management in Nepal.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INITIATIVES IN PAKISTAN
PLEASE Project is providing Technical Assistance to Pakistan for “Development of National Plastic Waste Management Plan and establishment of IT-Based Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism for Pakistan.” The TA activity aims to create an extensive national plastic database for recording, monitoring, and reporting plastic-related data that will allow the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment Coordination (MoCC&ED) and relevant stakeholders to make informed decisions on plastic management in Pakistan. The PLEASE Project Implementation Unit (PIU) is actively overseeing progress, and ensuring that all milestones are met.
The Consulting Firm Project Procurement Institute (PPI) and Techlogix Joint Venture are implementing the TA activity in close coordination with the MoCC&ED. An official kick-off meeting was organized on 06 June 2024. Ms Romina Khurshid Alam, Coordinator to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Climate Change, has inaugurated the kick-off workshop. The kick-off workshop was attended by participants from Federal and Provincial Environmental Protection Agencies, Waste Management Companies, plastic industry association representatives, academia, and NGOs. With the approval of the Inception Report, the TA activity is progressing well towards data collection and analysis.
(1st Image from the left) Ms Romina Khurshid Alam, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Environment
(2nd & 3rd Image from the left) Participants from Government Organizations, Industries, and Academia who attended the workshop.
Photo credit: Project Procurement Institute (PPI)
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INITIATIVES IN MALDIVES
PLEASE Project is providing technical assistance to the Maldives in the Design and Development of an end-to-end smart waste management system. By leveraging advanced technologies, this TA activity aims to create a robust, user-friendly, and intelligent system for monitoring and tracking solid waste management processes and ultimately optimizing the processes for waste collection, transportation, and disposal. Through this TA, PLEASE Project is also providing provisional fund support for procuring the required IT infrastructure (server) to the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment, and Energy of Maldives (MCCEE) to host the smart waste management system developed and ensure post-sustainability of the system developed.
The Consulting Firm X.O Concepts Pvt. Ltd. and XDOTO Concepts PTE Ltd have submitted the Inception Report, and currently developing conceptual design finalization (Blueprint).