Development of the Roadmap for Sustainable Waste Management and Resource Circulation in South Asia, 2019-2030 is a result of an intensive consultation process facilitated by the South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) and the IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (CCET) with the participation of all eight-member countries in South Asia and officially adopted at the 15th Meeting of Governing Council of South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) held on 6th November 2019. It was supported by the United Nations Environment Programme International Environmental Technology Centre (UNEP IETC) and the Ministry of Environment, Japan (MOEJ).

It sets the sub-regional policy framework, including targets and practical measures towards achieving sustainable waste and resource management in South Asia. It identifies an enabling environment to motivate countries to take actions to achieve those targets. It also stresses the importance of innovations on financing, business, technology and social as well as knowledge management and mutual learning among member countries to facilitate successful transformation towards sustainable waste and resource management in the sub-region. Some of the key goals of the roadmap are: (i) to minimise negative impacts on the environment, economy and society, (ii) to minimise waste generation and maximise resource efficiency across the product lifecycle, (iii) to synergise local, national, sub-regional efforts in South Asia in implementing waste and resource management related goals and agendas, including SDGs, NDCs, and others, and (iv) to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation, sustainable innovation, research and mutual learning among the countries in South Asia towards achieving sustainable waste and resource management.