Globally, human activity creates a growing amount of waste. For example, municipal solid waste generation, one of the key sources of solid waste, is predicted to grow from 2.1 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050 (UNEP, 2024). Similarly, plastic pollution has become an ever-increasing problem, with 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leaking into aquatic ecosystems every year1. Poorly managed waste is an environmental issue that severely affects human and ecosystem health. It is also an important contributor to climate change through a range of emissions, most significantly methane from landfills and dump sites as well as carbon dioxide from incineration and open burning (UNEP, 2024).

In the South Asian region, the waste sector is expected to have a substantial impact on pollution and overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to urbanisation and rapid population growth. The reduction and management of waste and plastic pollution in the densely populated region will be critical for climate action, environmental integrity, and human health, wellbeing, and livelihoods.

This research aims to contribute to a better understanding of the integration of waste prevention and management approaches and solutions into NDCs, with a special focus on the eight countries of the South Asian region: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It identifies the status and trends in the waste sector, governance structures, and political commitments through a whole-of-society approach. Furthermore, the research examines different aspects related to this thematic area, including the enabling environment, available funding and proposal development capacities, technology transfer, and interlinkages with global processes, such as those connected to the UNFCCC or the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).