Supporting Identification of Riverine and Coastal Plastics Waste Management Solutions in Mekong Countries: Technology, Innovation, Impacts

Project Summary:

Across Southeast Asia, due to its shared river systems and coastlines, marine plastics is a regional and transboundary challenge that results from excessive plastic consumption, insufficient solid waste management (SWM), and lack of recycling options. Recently, Southeast Asia ranked the third in regional generation of mismanaged plastic waste with 11.7 MMt per year, whose environmental and economic damages on riverine and coastal communities and ecosystems are significant and increasing.  Blockage of drainage canals increases the flood intensity, negatively affects urban areas, and threatens tourism destinations with reduced tourist numbers and/or high daily clean-up costs.  To address this issue, the World Bank has initiated a Regional IDA program for Southeast Asia Marine Plastics to help support specific innovative plastics investments along rivers, from equipment and facilities for plastics value chains and at coastal locations. Against such backdrop, the purposes of this KGGTF grant project are: (i) to help inform Mekong countries on technology, investment, and policy options for combatting riverine and coastal are plastics pollution, (ii) to leverage Korean partnerships and technical expertise to support the dialogue on plastics management with Mekong countries, and (iii) support knowledge management using other existing regional platforms.  

List of Activities:

• Identifying and analyzing cost-effective investments and innovative technologies related to plastic waste and community plastics recycling in key cities along Mekong (such as Vientiane, Phnom Penh, Can Tho) and coastal areas  

• Informing national-level policies through policy analysis on enhancing recycling efficiency and recommendations on detailed plastics waste management targets, norms and minimum standards, including clear cost recovery targets for plastics pollution reduction in rivers and coastlines 

• Facilitating knowledge management and exchange with Korea on management and monitoring of plastic waste along rivers and coastlines 

Outcomes:

Output 1:

• Preparation of country-level investment options notes for riverine plastics solutions, with information relating to relevant technologies, recycling choices, potential locations, and first level costing

Output 2:

• Country-level policy notes on plastics management options along the riverine and coastal locations in each country

Output 3:

• Series regional training (webinars) for knowledge sharing of Korean and global best practice relating to riverine and coastal marine plastics pollution

Outcomes:  

Implementation of the KGGTF activities will result in: (i) increased knowledge for policymakers to identify and prioritize investments and policies for plastic waste management along transboundary riverine and coastal environments in Mekong countries; (ii) increased knowledge exchange, coordination, and collaboration between Mekong countries, and through ASEAN and partnerships with Korea on plastic waste management; and (iii) greater opportunities for innovations and markets for private sector investments. Importantly, this support will provide a basis for the World Bank to engage in discussions with governments on measures to reduce marine plastics, thereby providing the foundation for municipal and national governments to take informed action and investments on plastic waste collection and further feeding into the preparation of potential World-Bank- financed projects in the region. 

Collaboration with K-Partners and Others:

• Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), Korea Marine Environment Management Corp (KOEM)
• Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology (KIOST)
• National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS). It will build discussion platforms through ASEAN-Korea collaboration to transfer the knowledge, policy, and best practices relating to marine plastics reduction/recycling, coastal monitoring, and cleanup
• UN Environment Program (UNEP)
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
• World Water Forum (WWF)
• Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
• JICA
• GIZ
• UNESCAP
• EU