Our International Development Research Centre research grant-funded, transdisciplinary, multiinstitution research project – entitled ‘Cities and Climate Change’ – generated solutions to urban waste management in Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Nepal, and Sylhet City Corporation, Bangladesh.

Our ongoing coordination with stakeholders and city officials has led to policy changes: Bharatpur Metropolitan City introduced a policy to segregate waste at source and manage it properly; Kathmandu Metropolitan City is in the process of introducing the same measure; and our collaboration supported the Government of Nepal to ban single-use plastic bags less than 40 microns thick from production, import, and use starting from 16 July 2021. These policy changes contribute towards increased recycling and composting, while also reducing collection costs and extending the life of landfill sites.