Water and other urban infrastructure and services / Urban hazardous waste management

This RETA will strengthen the regulatory and institutional framework, and improve the information exchange relating to the management of hazardous wastes in SASEC countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal).

At the subregional level, this RETA aims for (i) sharing of knowledge within the region on handling hazardous wastes, and on preparting regulatory and insitutional frameworks to manage hazardous wastes; (ii) establishment of mechanisms to maintain a network and a forum to learn from other countries in managing hazardous wastes with public-private participation.

The RETA was identified and recommended by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) of South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) at its special meeting in 2002 and endorsed at the Country Advisors Meeting in 2005. This RETA was then included in the Regional Cooperation Strategy and Program (RCSP), 2006-2008. It is expected that a common hazardous wastes treatment plant to serve these countries could be established.

The EWG under the SASEC program identified pollution, particularly with regard to hazardous wastes, as one of the major subregional environmental issues to be addressed by SASEC countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal). The hazardous substances are generated from various activities: agricultural, industrial, and household activities. Bhutan has not yet established institutional and legal frameworks to effectively address the problem. In Nepal, several studies and workshops on managing hazardous wastes have been carried out, and the hazardous, polluting industries and activities have been identified. Nepal's next step is to develop policies under the Environmental Protection Act. In Bangladesh, the generation of hazardous wastes is rapidly increasing and appropriate disposal remains a challenge problem. India, with its heavy industrialization in some sectors, also faces significant challenges in disposing of hazardous wastes. However, the opportunities to reduce, recover, and reuse the hazardous wastes have not yet been properly identified.

1. The approach to manage hazardous wastes is institutionalized and the system to prevent pollution associated with hazardous wastes is improved.

2. Countries within the subregion share their knowledge on handling hazardous wastes.

Waste inventory reports for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal

Draft policy and rules for managing hazardous wastes in Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal

Report on India's hazardous waste regulations, with recommendations on incorporating reuse, recycling, and recovery principles

Report on potential involvement of private sector in managing hazardous wastes.

Training modules for managing hazardous wastes.

Mechanism to maintain network

All inventory reports have been submitted and accepted by RETA Governments.

Draft policy and rules for BAN, BHU and NEP were prepared by national consultants and submitted to respective governments. Local workshops attended by various stakeholders were held to discuss draft policy and rules. Reports are disclosed in the ADB website.

Local stakeholder workshops were conducted for both inventory and policy development phases of the RETA for BAN, BHU, and NEP. These were attended by the industrial sectors that participated in the inventory phase, as well as by government and the private sector.

In IND, stakeholder workshops were held in Bangalore, Vadodara and Kolkata to understand what the issues and understanding of recyclers of hazardous wastes in these areas. Another stakeholder workshop was held to disseminate the revised regulation for hazardous waste management rules, and training for inventory of hazardous wastes.

The RETA country reports disclosed in the ADB website provide documentation on the above stakeholder consultations.