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The National Awareness and Training Workshop on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), held in Maseru, Lesotho on 17 June 2026, brought together government agencies, municipalities, producers, academia, civil society, development partners, and informal-sector representatives to explore pathways for developing an inclusive and nationally...

The Capacity Building and Technical Training Programme on Waste Characterisation Survey Methodology, held in Lesotho on 15–16 June 2026, aimed to strengthen national capacity for evidence-based waste governance and planning. Organized by UNEP-IETC, IGES-CCET, UNDP, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and the National University of Lesotho...

Bhutan faces mounting pressure on its municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems. Its capital city, Thimphu, generates approximately 50 tonnes of MSW per day, of which roughly 30 tonnes per day is organic (wet) waste that is currently deposited at the Memelakha landfill — an ageing open-dumpsite already well beyond its intended lifespan. At the...

Addressing material use, waste and pollution, and advancing circular economy transitions in Asia and the Pacific are central to achieving sustainable development outcomes that combine economic prosperity, environmental integrity and human well-being. The region’s development trajectory over recent decades has delivered substantial gains in income...

Tourism is a key driver of economic growth in Thailand, but it also generates significant environmental and socio-economic pressures, particularly in coastal destinations such as Krabi. Increasing plastic pollution, resource stress, and socio-economic inequalities highlight the limitations of conventional tourism models and the need for more...

This study provides an indicative comparative assessment of the factors underlying these challenges by examining policy content, regulatory enforcement, and institutional capacity related to OWB across ten selected Asian countries: Cambodia, China, India, Iraq, Jordan, Laos, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Thailand. The researchers employed a...

Plastic pollution has emerged as a critical global challenge, with the ASEAN+3 region identified as a major hotspot due to high emission levels and persistent gaps in waste management systems. This handbook offers a comprehensive, evidence-based overview for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers, presented in two main parts. Part I provides...

In recent years, plastic pollution has emerged as a growing threat around the globe. The gravity of this issue called for negotiations on an international legally binding instrument. As an area that is heavily influenced by and reliant on its marine resources, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region views plastic pollution as a...

Plastic, which makes up 10%–13% of daily municipal solid waste at a global level, is a major component of solid waste (Kibria et al., 2023). The growing population, rapid urbanisation, and ongoing industrial development are key drivers behind the escalating plastic waste crisis, leading to serious, human-made environmental challenges that threaten...

As plastics are utilised in a broad range of sectors, there are various kinds of plastic pollution sources. A United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report assessing marine litter and plastic pollution identified major land-based pollution sources to the ocean (UNEP, 2021). While landfills are regarded as one of the major sources, other...