Publication: Plastic Waste: A Journey Down the Indus River Basin in Pakistan
Date
2022-06
ISSN
Published
2022-06
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
The perennial presence of plastic
waste in the Indus River and its tributaries is a recent
addition to the already extensive list of threats to water
quality, ecological health, and environmental sustainability
in Pakistan. While there is some information available,
although insufficient, both on surface water resources as
well as on solid waste management (SWM) in Pakistan, the
intersection of the two remains grossly under-studied in
research circles and underrepresented on policy forums. This
study delineates the interface between land based plastic
waste and the Indus River system with the objective of
raising plastics-in-rivers as a major policy and
developmental issue, and providing a starting point for
researchers, policy makers, and development and
environmental professionals to expand the agenda of SWM to
include protection of rivers. It is the first study of its
kind in Pakistan and uses a combination of active sampling
of floating waste at key sites in the Indus River system,
passive sampling of waste dumped along the banks at those
sites, consultations with key stakeholders in the sector,
and a review of relevant policies, laws, and literature.
Citation
“World Bank. 2022. Plastic Waste: A Journey Down the Indus River Basin in Pakistan. © Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/37501 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”