Engineer Ezatullah Sediqi, Deputy Director in technical affairs of the National Environmental Protection ‎Agency, attended an online meeting on “evaluation and study of the Plastic pollution in the rivers and ‎seas” which was held by SACEP and World Bank in the presence of the representatives from eight ‎member countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Srilanka).
The meeting was held to share the information about the current situation and management of solid ‎waste, especially plastic mainly in the member countries. This study and evaluation cost 50 million $, ‎which will be implemented by the financial and Technical support of the World Bank and Parley organization ‎in eight member countries through the next five years.
This project aims to provide financial support to private sectors in a competitive manner in order to reduce plastic production and consumption, to bring and improve government-private sector cooperation, and to bring together the region's relevant agencies.
Mr. Sediqi, briefed about solid waste conditions especially the plastic, activities, and steps taken, the ‎existing challenges, and the mechanism for coordination among the agencies in the country. He also ‎supported the project implementation and initiative in the region. He requested concrete cooperation in capacity building, private sectors (industry and plastic), doing the researches and environmental studies related to plastic.
It is worth mentioning that: Another discussion, identical to this one, was held on March 17, 2021, in an online format, during which Mr. Sediqi spoke in depth from Afghanistan's perspective.