A SANDEE panel on the topic “Adapting to climate change in South Asian cities” will be held on 6 December 2019, spotlighting the ongoing research in Bharatpur (Nepal) and Sylhet (Bangladesh). The panel will share and discuss the results of the research, particularly focusing on:a) Understanding city flooding and water logging under different climatic and non-climate scenarios in two cities and examining the role of hard interventions and soft interventions for mitigating the problem, including the role of solid wastes deposits on the canals and drainage system

b) Identifying the preferences of the city residents for managing solid wastes better

c) Estimating the benefits of cleaner neighbourhoods in terms of residential property price

d) Examining the feasibility of sustainable financing of plastic waste management

Objectives

1. Identify the issues, bottlenecks, and areas of immediate attention
2. Achieve a common consensus on the necessity of amending the solid waste management policy to achieve a sustainable waste management in the country
3. Identify common waste management complications and solutions between the stakeholders
4. Promote reduce, reuse, and recycle (3R) in every local body or municipality
5. Address the role of public–private partnership in promoting investments towards and financing of waste management
6. Explore possibilities of inter-bodies co-operations and collaborations between the stakeholders
7. Seek prospective smart waste-management technologies that are feasible and viable in the context and circumstances of the municipalities
8. Discuss the potential of zero waste through waste to energy, resources, and economy

Panelists

1. Mani Nepal, Programme Coordinator SANDEE and Lead Economist, ICIMOD (panel moderator)
2. Rishi Ram Kattel, Assistant Professor, Agriculture and Forestry University
3. Madan Singh Khadayat, Researcher
4. Sajan Neupane, Senior Project Officer – Health System Strengthening Project, Handicap International Nepal Programme

About the organizers

The SWMC is a joint collaborative effort of all the stakeholders and institutions working on solid waste management. The Society of Environmental Engineers of Nepal (SEEN), Solid Waste Management Association of Nepal (SWMAN), and Nepal Development Research Institute (NDRI) conceptualized the consortium.

The South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE) is an ICIMOD initiative under the regional programme on Mountain Knowledge and Action Networks (MKAN). SANDEE is a research capacity-building network that supports South Asian researchers and institutions interested in the connections between economic development, the environment, and the use of natural resources.