Selection No: 1270399

Technical Proposal
Section D

D - Description of Approach, Methodology and Work Plan

Technical Approach and Methodology

Context
The Indus River Basin (IRB) is the lifeline for Pakistan, supporting agriculture, industry, and
supplying freshwater and related services to millions of people. While the IRB is strategically
vital for Pakistan's economy, society, and culture, it faces a number of issues, with river
pollution being an important concern. Across the IRB, water is withdrawn for agricultural
purposes through irrigation canals and a large proportion of this is returned through natural as
well as man-made drains at various points. The return flows contain wastewater from
agriculture and runoff from settlements and industries along the river. Due to severe lack of
waste collection infrastructure, implementation of regulations, monitoring, and enforcement,
virtually all conduits for return flow to the river bring with them solid waste. Plastics are a major
component of this solid waste. It is also common practice in Pakistan to dump solid waste
directly in mountain streams, rivers, and along river banks, including in and around the Indus
River.
In 2018, global plastics production almost reached 360 million tonnes (according to Plastics
Europe) and because of low recycling rates and significant littering, plastic accounts for 60–
80% of overall marine debris1.
It is estimated that more than 8 million tons of plastic ends up in oceans every year and most
of this is conveyed through rivers that drain into oceans. Rivers have been described as
efficient “highways” playing a major role in the land-to-ocean litter transport of plastic waste,
not only delivering materials generated in coastal areas, but also transporting waste generated
further inland in the catchment2.
A study in 20173 estimated that just 10 river systems around the world carry 90 percent of the
plastic that ends up in the ocean. According to the same study, the Indus River is the second
most polluted river in the world, with the first being in China. The Indus River contributes
164,332 tons of plastic waste to the sea annually. The Indus River is reported to be the second
largest river catchment in terms of macroplastic load, which is estimated at 11,977 tons/year.
However, beyond basin-level estimates, there is little analytical understanding and mapping of
the sources and nature of plastic pollution in water channels of Pakistan.
Due to its characteristics (such as high persistence, low density, and extremely wide size
distribution), marine plastic pollution has consequences on the environment and biodiversity,
industries (including tourism, shipping and fishing) and represents a potential risk for food

1
Seo, S., Park, Y. 2020. Destination of floating plastic debris released from ten major rivers around
the Korean Peninsula. Environment International. 2020. 138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105655
2
Jiménez, J. Fernández, D., Fornier, M., Schmidt, N. 2019. Macro-litter in surface waters from the Rhone River:
Plastic pollution and loading to the NW Mediterranean Sea. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 2019, 146, 60-66.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.067
3
Schmidt, C., T. Krauth, S. Wagner. 2017. Export of Plastic Debris by Rivers into the Sea. Environ. Sci.
Technol. 2017, 51, 21, 12246–12253. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b02368

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 Selection No: 1270399
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security and human health4. In the oceans alone, the economic damage due to plastic pollution
is estimated as high as €21 billion5. Thus, the marine plastic debris is one of the emerging
global environmental challenges drawing enormous international attention. This problem is in
the priority agenda of United Nations Environment Program and there is an urgent need to
establish coordinated international efforts and a practical governance framework to tackle the
issue.
To address the challenge of marine plastic pollution, this complex network of upstream water
channels and its role in plastic pollution must first be understood. There is an urgent need to
conduct diagnostic studies to assess the real impact of this dumping of plastic waste in the IRB
if measures are to be taken to reduce plastics in waterways with the ultimate goal of mitigating
marine litter and pollution.

Objectives and Scope of the Work

The main objective of this assignment is to undertake an evidence-based analysis of the
contribution of plastic waste to water pollution in the Pakistan IRB in order to: (1) inform
investment priorities to Manage clean-up of Indus River and its tributaries; (2) prevent addition
of plastic and other wastes into the IRB water bodies by improving land-based waste
management services such as collection, recycling, and treatment, and contribute towards
circular economy agenda; and (3) inform and strengthen the diagnostic study on “marine
pollution, including litter and plastic”, planned to initiate separately; (4) contribute in aligning
operations with ongoing and pipeline operations of World Bank and IFC.
The proposed work to fulfil this objective is to conduct a diagnostic study that identifies and
investigates the major interfaces between waterways and hotspots of plastic waste generation
in Pakistan, including but not limited to urban centers, industrial towns/zones, and tourism
hubs. The study will investigate patterns of plastic pollution at selected sites across the IRB so
that a deep understanding of the volume and nature of the macroplastic load received by
different waterways can be established. This investigation will be complemented by
stakeholder mapping and an assessment of policy, legal, and institutional gaps that drive the
high rates of plastic pollution in waterways already estimated for the Indus River and its
tributaries.

General Approach
In general, the technical proposal presented is based on the accumulated experience of the
consortium (hereafter referred to as team) in the preparation of several studies on plastic
pollution and waste policies, from cities to countries. Based on accumulated experience, a
general approach and methodology were defined on the basis of the following principles:

4
Barboza, L., Vethaak, D., Lavorante, B., Lundebye, A., Guilhermino, L. 2018. Marine microplastic debris: an
emerging issue for food security, food safety and human health. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 2018, 133, 336–348.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.05.047
5
Beaumont, N., Aanesen, M., Austen, M., Börger, T., Clark, J., Cole, M., Hooper, T., Lindeque, P., Pascoe, C.,
Wyles, K. 2019. Global ecological, social and economic impacts of marine plastic. Marine Pollution Bulletin.
2019, 142,189-195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.03.022

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• Full use of available information: The collection of quantitative and qualitative data
will be comprehensive and easily scalable, enabled by a geographic information
system, and based on robust methodologies. This will ensure that despite the short
timeframe, the project will be easily sustained or continued by local authorities, i.e.,
there is a strong focus on capacity building.
• In-depth consultation with stakeholders: the implementation of any waste policy
must integrate the maximum knowledge of the different parties, from the civil servant
or the waste picker up to the highest political level. By having an inclusive and broad
approach, the team will be able to propose a comprehensive and effective action plan
– one in which stakeholders will agree on and therefore act to achieve the proposed
objectives.
• Field Survey: the process will include detailed survey at 8 selected locations including
sampling, visual observations and detailed waste characterization study.
In the following sections, we present the proposed approach and methodology for each
product, highlighting anticipated problems and potential solutions, adding some elements to
the mandate that we consider relevant to the overall objective. The Work Program is also
presented, according to the general structure provided in the RT
According to the TOR, the proposed project should encompass the following key activities:
1) Literature review including published and grey literature on plastic pollution in
Pakistan, especially its overlap with water quality; relevant policies, legislation,
institutional structure, and agencies dealing with waste management and plastic
pollution, including gap analysis of the same; challenges associated with
implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of related policies, legislation at federal,
provincial, and local levels; and Rules of Business;
2) Stakeholder consultations at relevant federal, provincial, and local levels, including
but not limited to federal, provincial, and local government departments, agencies,
regulatory authorities, private sector companies, non-government organizations,
academic institutions, and community organizations;
3) Development and implementation of a methodology for sampling, testing, data
collection, compilation, and analysis6;
4) Identify short- and long-term solutions for sustainable management of plastic
pollution and investment options to control marine debris at sub-national and national
levels mainly originating from drains, associated water bodies, water channels,
streams, and rivers. This activity will build and reflect on the outcomes of activities 1-3,
above, and must ensure that the recommendations are relevant to the country’s
governance and socio-economic contexts.
Given the significant time restrictions to undertake these tasks, it will be necessary to consider
three work packages that will be conducted simultaneously, but by two different teams. These
work package structure consolidates activities 2 and 4 in WP3, given that these will be
conducted sequentially and by the same team.
The proposed approach includes the following Work Packages:

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▪ Work Package 1. Literature Review and Preliminary Data Analysis

▪ Work Package 2. Development and implementation of a plastic pollution assessment
methodology
▪ Work Package 3. Stakeholder consultation and action plan
The three work packages are detailed in the following sections.

Methodology
The proposed methodology for this study is strongly influenced by the TOR, namely the
proposed timeframe and respective hydrological conditions that strongly influence the Indu
River flow and plastic litter. To achieve the most reliable and robust results, the proposed
methodology will consider several complementary analysis tools, including Material Flow
Analysis, which can help to determine leakages, remote sensing and other GIS tools, and,
more importantly, estimation methods based on field sampling,

WP1. Literature Review and Preliminary data analysis

The first work package aims to establish the state-of-the-art, namely existing studies on plastic
waste and pollution in the Indu River Basin (IRB), existing water and waste-related policies
and legislation in Pakistan and other SAR countries with relevance to the IRB, existing
infrastructure for municipal and industrial waste management, and any other document that
might help to establish the current state of affairs. Moreover, the literature review will also
include scientific literature on sampling methods. Despite the relevant knowledge from the
project team, it is important to apply and use the most up-to-date methodologies and data
sources.
A second objective of WP1 is to identify and analyze any quantitative or qualitative data that
exists on the IR litter problem, which might include informal reports from citizens or news
agencies, but more importantly those from national, regional or local authorities.
A preliminary identification of relevant literature is presented in table 1.
Table 1 – Non exhaustive list of relevant literature

Scope
Indu River and Pakistan
South Asia
Riverine and marine litter
Reference
▪ Pappas G. (2011). Pakistan and water: new pressures on global
security and human health. American journal of public
health, 101(5), 786–788.
▪ Irfan, T., Khalid, S., Taneez, M., & Hashmi, M. Z. (2020). Plastic
driven pollution in Pakistan: the first evidence of environmental
exposure to microplastic in sediments and water of Rawal
Lake. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 1-10.
▪ UNEP (2020) Regional Marine Litter Action Plan for South Asian
Seas Region
▪ UNEP (2019) Regulating Marine Litter and Plastic Wastes in SAS
Region
▪ Veiga, J.M., Fleet, D., Kinsey, S., Nilsson, P., Vlachogianni, T.,
Werner, S., Galgani, F., Thompson, R.C., Dagevos, J., Gago, J.,
Sobral, P. and Cronin, R.; 2016; Identifying Sources of Marine
Litter. MSFD GES TG Marine Litter Thematic Report; JRC
Technical Report.
▪ Schmidt, C., Krauth, T., & Wagner, S. (2017). Export of plastic
debris by rivers into the sea. Environmental science &
technology, 51(21), 12246-12253.

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▪ Rech, S., Macaya-Caquilpán, V., Pantoja, J.F. et al. Sampling of

riverine litter with citizen scientists — findings and
recommendations. Environ Monit Assess 187, 335 (2015).
▪ Barboza, L., Vethaak, D., Lavorante, B., Lundebye, A.,
Guilhermino, L. 2018. Marine microplastic debris: an emerging
issue for food security, food safety and human health. Marine
Pollution Bulletin. 2018, 133, 336–348.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.05.047
Waste management ▪ Kaza, Silpa, Lisa Yao, Perinaz Bhada-Tata, and Frank Van
Woerden. 2018. What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid
Waste Management to 2050. Urban Development Series.
Washington, DC: World Bank.
▪ United Nations Environment Programme (2020). National guidance
for plastic pollution hotspotting and shaping action - Introduction
report. Boucher J.,; M. Zgola, et al. United Nations Environment
Programme. Nairobi, Kenya

The work will be mostly conducted through desk research and selected interviews with relevant
stakeholders. The areas of focus will be

• Development of sound references to carry out the detailed plastic study

• Overall status of plastic industry in Pakistan
• Best practices in Pakistan and nearby countries to reduce the use of plastic and recycle
the plastic which is being used
• Role of different stakeholders which include but not limited to plastic manufacturer,
plastic recyclers, and Government Departments, General Public and Retail businesses.
• Study of general waste management practices in Pakistan including waste collection,
transportation, waste sorting, waste recycling, and waste disposal
• Identification of relevant laws and policies
• Review of identified laws and policies and identification of required laws and policies
• Identification of best practices and successful model

WP2. Development and Implementation of plastic litter assessment

methodology
The actual assessment of plastic litter and its contribution to pollution in the IRB should be
conducted as much as possible through established methodologies in the literature to enable
robust comparison across river basins. This will generate comparable results and to re-do the
monitoring on a regular basis as part of a monitoring program. Using an established, detailed
methodology may also allow comparison of results with different regions and basins. If the aim
of the monitoring for example is to create increased awareness, and not generate comparable
results, the importance of choosing an established and detailed method decreases.
Despite the long list of possible methodologies, the relatively short timeframe and the extent
of the IRB calls for expedite sampling methodologies that can be readily applied and
complemented with approaches based on remote sensing/satellite imagery.
The methodology will include

• Plastic tracking,

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• Active sampling,

• Passive sampling,

• Visual observations, and

• Citizen science/interviews.

Litter booms (Active Sampling)

Based on previous experience and the literature review, as well as knowledge of the specific
hydrological cycles of the IRB, the proposed methodology will be based on the deployment
of litter booms in strategic hotspots that will enable isolation of specific smaller basins
and assess overall contribution to the IR pollution.
Floating litter booms can be used to collect and identify floating marine and riverine litter for
item sizes down to at least 2.5 cm. The floating litter boom creates a barrier where floating litter
is trapped as the current drives the litter inside the floating boom (Figure 1). As most plastics
have lower density than water they will float. The floating litter boom method focuses mainly
on measuring the surface water (top 0.5m) but the boom can advantageously be supplemented
with different net curtains to increase the sampling depth.
The floating litter boom is a low-tech and low-cost monitoring option, which is a strength in
short-term projects such as this. However, an initial cost for the boom is required. Cylindrical
containment booms can be used with success. These booms might need some modification
depending on the initial design and if net curtains are to be used on the booms. Other costs
depend on the deployment and retrieval of the booms and the collection and categorization of
the collected litter.

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Figure 1 – Trash Traps™ by Storm Water Systems, Inc.

The project team will start by developing the sampling methodology, establishing the
frequency, duration, sites of the sampling procedures that ensure representativity given the
project timeframe. These will be presented to the contact points, who will validate or give
additional contributions to improve proposed method.
Initially the consultant plants to follow the followings steps at a single site

• Installation of litter booms at site (Day 1)

• Field survey around the area and along the river bank at the selected site
• Collection of litter from the litter boom (Daily basis for 5 days)
• Weighing and segregation as per the category of waste (Daily basis for 5 Days)

At some sites the already installed litter sieved by irrigation department will be used as litter
booms.

Passive sampling
Other than actively sample river plastic pollution, team will collect and analyze debris that
accumulates at existing infrastructure. In various rivers around the world, infrastructure is
already in place to concentrate, retain, and extract (plastic) debris in rivers. For example, the
river Seine in France is equipped with a network of 26 floating booms to collect and remove

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(plastic) debris. Gasperi et al. (2014) analyzed the collected waste to study the amount and
composition of plastic in the Seine.

Another study by Lahens et al. (2018) examined riverine waste collected from urban canals in
Ho Chi Minh City by municipal waste handlers. Similar work has been done on the Chao
Phraya river in Thailand (DMCR, 2018) and the Rhine at Rotterdam, the Netherlands
(Pikaar, 2018), where riverine debris, collected through floating barriers, has been collected
and studied. In Baltimore, Maryland, focused river cleanup technology has been installed to
reduce the plastic waste emission from the Jones Falls river into the city's harbor. Here, over
1,000 tonnes of waste has been collected and analyzed over 4 years, making it one of the
longest riverine debris datasets available to date (Lindquist, 2016).

Compared to active sampling, these methods have the benefit of using existing infrastructure,
allowing for debris analysis without additional investment in installing monitoring equipment.
Disadvantages include that the samples may not always be tailored toward answering specific
research questions. Existing infrastructure, such as the floating booms in the Seine, do not
offer flexible deployment, restricting the possible sampling locations. Furthermore, temporal
variations and factors such as wind and hydrology are harder to quantify using this
methodology.

Visual observations
In addition to methods focused on collecting plastic samples team will also quantify the riverine
plastic flux or stock. One of the most applied methods is visual counting method from bridges
(Castro‐Jiménez et al., 2019; Crosti et al., 2018; González‐Fernández et al., 2016; González‐
Fernández & Hanke, 2017; van Emmerik et al., 2018). For this method, observers are standing
on bridges and count the amount of visible floating, and superficially submerged, plastics for a
certain duration. The results can be used to quantify the plastic transport for the whole river at
a given moment in time and its distribution over the river width. Although this simple method
provides consistent data over time and space, several uncertainties are introduced through a
possible observer bias and the minimum size of counted plastic as a result of bridge height
and turbidity. If additional plastic mass statistics are available, such as mean mass per plastic
item, the plastic item count observations can be converted to plastic mass transport (Castro‐
Jiménez et al., 2019; van Emmerik et al., 2018).

Long‐term measurements on the Saigon river using visual counting revealed a strong
seasonality of plastic transport and showed its distribution of the river width and length is

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strongly influenced by hydrometeorological factors such as wind, water level, and flow velocity
(van Emmerik et al., 2018; van Emmerik, Strady et al., 2019). Other studies, such as the pan‐
European RIMMEL project collected visual counting observations for over 40 rivers (González‐
Fernández et al., 2019). In similar spirit, several other methods include the counting and
identification of plastic litter along riverbanks (Kiessling et al., 2019; Rech et al., 2015).
Measurements done at Chilean and German rivers, revealed clear spatial variation of plastics
accumulated along riverbanks.

Parsimonious measurement methods provide a powerful tool to arrive at first‐order estimations

of floating plastic transport and accumulation of plastics along riverbanks. They are easy to
apply, and data collection can be done by either professionals or through citizen science, all
around the world. Although subjected to several sources of uncertainty, they do provide a
consistent way of data collection, allowing for good comparison between rivers and over time.

Site Selection
Site selection should consider narrow rivers with a continuous water flow, or in narrow parts of
a wider river, site where a large part (preferably the entire width) of the river that the boom can
block the more reliable results can be obtained. As per the initial literature review and
discussion with team following sites are proposed for detailed survey

• Sakardu
• Gilgit
• Besham
• Mengora
• D I Khan
• Baloki
• Sukkhur
• Karachi
Main Stakeholders Involved

• Irrigation Department
• Respective Municipalities
• Ministry of Climate Change
• Plastic Manufacturer & Recyclers
With the sampling method approved, the team
will start deploying litter booms in chosen sites,
working with local authorities to minimize
possible constraints or backlash from local
stakeholders. It will be important to involve, as much as possible, local communities in the
deployment of the booms and in the waste characterization to empower them to become active
part of the solution.

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The litter that is collected in the litter booms will be quantified, categorised and analysed in
situ, with the intention of producing high quality, robust data sets. Detailed registries of all these
procedures will be produced. Finally, after analysis, the waste will then be forwarded to reliable
waste treatment facilities.
The proposed method has several distinct advantages. The method is flexible in regards to the
purpose of the monitoring, it can be for scientific purposes if standardizing the sampling or it
can be simplified to work in e.g. awareness projects Also, the litter booms stop the litter from
reaching the ocean, in contrast to e.g. visual surveys. Litter retention booms are already being
used in some rivers to stop litter from reaching the ocean. The floating litter boom methodology
is relatively cost efficient (compared to large litter retention devices), easy to deploy, easy to
scale in size, flexible in regard to where it can be placed and easily moved.

Remote Sensing and Riverside Sampling

This sampling method will be complemented with remote sensing, which will help to identify
microplastic pollution in riversides, which can be considered an important indicator of river
pollution and litter. In this specific case, remote sensing will help to identify possible litter
hotspots, which will then be visited by field teams to sweep these areas and characterize litter
concentration and type.
To date, only a few studies have explored the potential applications of satellite remote sensing
for detecting macroplastics on water bodies. The team will employ a methodology already
tested for ocean waste using Sentinel-2A & B data. These are European Space Agency optical
earth observation satellites launched in 2015 and 2017, respectively. The on-board multi-
spectral instrument (MSI) sensors were developed for terrestrial services, but the high spatial
resolution (10m) also allows for detection of cluster of objects, such as aggregations of floating
debris.
A study similar to Biermann (2017) will be conducted, focusing instead on riverbanks. These
will help us to identify areas where riverine litter accumulates, which should be particularly
important in periods where IR flow decreases. The litter eventually gets picked up by the river
stream during defrosting and monsoon seasons. Contrary to the floating barriers, this method
will help to identify other types of waste with higher density.
As per the study of Biermann (2017) the range of NDVI values are shown in following figure

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Using these values and Sentinel-2A data to calculate NDVI for a sample Indus river patch, we
get following result.

For remote sensing applications, spectral analysis refers to extraction of qualitative and
quantitative information from the reflectance spectra of a given pixel, based on wavelength-
dependent reflectance properties. Classes of objects are therefore likely to have recognisable
spectral features and characteristics, or spectral ’signatures’. Based on absorption and
reflectance patterns across 10 of the 12 Sentinel-2 MSI bands (from 490 nm to 1610 nm), The
spectral signatures of seaweed, spume, timber, macroplastics and seawater

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The actual sampling of litter from riverbanks will be performed according to the methodology
proposed by Owens (2020), itself based on Opfer et al. (2012). The proposed methodology
involves surveying a 100 m long, 5 m deep area along a riverside to quantify density and
composition of debris. After selecting a site that ideally allows 100 m of continuous riverside
collecting (i.e., avoiding walls, private property, or an impenetrable landscape) researchers
measure the site and mark a 100 m length of shoreline with survey flags, starting at the river's
edge. Researchers then measure 5 m depth landward from the shoreline, marking this distance
with flags along the 100 m length. This produces a total collection area of 500 m2 as shown in
Figure 1. Researchers then walk in a systematic pattern, back and forth from the shoreline, to
the edge of the 5 m deep area, and then back to the shoreline until the entire area has been
covered, as shown in Figure 1. Researchers collect everything visible within the given area.

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Figure 2 - Example of sampling area near Thatta, Pakistan

Surveying teams remove the material from the site, returning to a better equipped facility to
analyze it systematically by counting, weighing, and logging the results.
After a full sweep, the team should return to the site after a fixed period of time, as large as
possible, usually three to six months. During this period, litter will again accumulate in the
riverside, allowing for an estimation of litter generation rate. Given the expected project
timeframe, it might not be possible to wait three months; in this case, the team will expectedly
return to the site one month after the first sweep.
With a team of five to six workers, the expected duration of a 500 m2 sweep is half a day.
Depending on the quantity of waste collected, an additional half day is expected for litter
analysis. However, it should be noted that usually the more time-consuming task is the actual
transportation to the site. These are usually remote places, lacking road access. It might be
necessary to access these sites by boat.

Drone Survey (Air & Under Water)

The consultant team will also collect the data with the help of drone technology. Consultant
will arrange drone for areal observation at agreed sites.

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Other than the areal drone, expert will also use a camera submarine to observe the
underwater conditions at selected sites. This will also help the team to understand the
situation of plastics which are smaller in size and remain underwater.

Data Compilation
The results of the litter booms and riverside analysis will be analysed together to establish
coherence between material types and expected generation rates. A detailed report with this
information will be produced, which will also compare the robustness of these results against
other studies reviewed in Work Package 1.

WP3. Stakeholder Consultation and Action Plan

As previously mentioned, the WP3 consolidates the stakeholder consultation activity and the
actual design of short-term and medium-term solutions to mitigate the IR pollution problem.
These were joined in a single work package since they will be interlinked; results from the
stakeholder consultation will directly influence the identification and design of the action plan.
Moreover, it is proposed that the same team addresses both activities.

Stakeholder Consultation
The implementation of any waste related policy must integrate the maximum knowledge of the
different parties, from the civil servant or the waste picker to the highest political level. It is only
through an inclusive and broad approach, receiving the best contribution from all, that it is
possible for actors to identify themselves with the project results and therefore act in order to
achieve the proposed objectives.
This specific task will be conducted throughout the whole project. The first step will involve the
actual identification of relevant stakeholders, which need to include, at least, federal, regional,
local government departments and agencies. It will be also necessary to include private sector
companies and their associations, environmental and community non-government
organizations, academia and other research-based institutions. If needed, other types of

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stakeholders will be consulted, namely international organizations that might have a direct
stake in preventing both river and marine pollution.
After validation of the proposed list, the identified parties will be contacted by the project team
to participate in consultation initiatives. We propose two stakeholder levels, one smaller group
that will be more involved in the project and will be consulted periodically (once per month for
the project duration) and a wider one that will be consulted at the start and at the end of the
project. From past experience, the smaller group should not include more than seven to eight
organizations, not including the WB or the project team.
For each consultation session, a specific methodology and agenda will be prepared
beforehand, ensuring that the meetings or sessions are productive and contribute to the overall
project objectives.
The team expects to allocate around 40 persondays to this specific task. While this might seem
a large investment, we find that is a fundamental investment to ensure the actual
implementation of the proposed action plan.

Support from World Bank Pakistan Office

To carry out the huge task in limited time, strong coordination will be required from WB
Pakistan office especially in the following
1. Permissions from relevant departments to install the litter booms
2. Permission from local DC office to survey the areas
3. Permission from relevant authorities for drone surveys
4. Availability of data from local waste management authorities
5. Any other task where Government Departments were involves

Action Plan – Short and Medium Term Solutions

The previous work packages and tasks will provide invaluable insight on the size of the problem
and its origins. With this information, it should be possible to design an evidence-based
approach to mitigate the litter problem in the Indus River.
The development of the Action Plan, which includes a proposal of short and medium-term
solutions, should be built based on the team’s experience and insight, but with the contribution
of relevant stakeholders. The proposed methodology is iterative: the project team will propose
a first draft with a specific vision, goals, targets and actionable measures, which will be iterated
with stakeholders and the World Bank contact points until there is a coherent and common
understanding for the Action Plan.
The resulting Action Plan should be disseminated publicly with the help of the national
authorities and the World Bank, including, at least, a public presentation of main findings and
proposed actions

Outputs and Deliverables

Table 2 presents the expected outputs of the proposed work, organized by Work Package.

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Table 2 – Outputs per Work Package

Scope
WP1. Literature Review and
Preliminary data analysis
Deliverables
▪ Report “Methological approach” detailing the proposed
methodology, including site selection, duration, facilities,
equipment, teams, among others
▪ “Interim Report I” detailing the results of the literature review and
preliminary data analysis

WP2. Development and

Implementation of plastic
litter assessment
methodology
WP3. Stakeholder
Consultation and Action Plan
▪ “Interim Report II” detailing the field work conducted and the
corresponding results
▪ “Interim Report III” detailing the main findings of the stakeholder
consultation
▪ Final Report detailing the previous results and findings and
recommendations to reduce plastic pollution in the IRB

According to the TOR, the main output from the scope of work will be a detailed diagnostic
report presenting the main findings and analysis of the field work, while also providing policy
and institutional recommendations.
The final report should include, at minimum:
• An overview of plastic waste generation, collection, disposal, and leakage into water
channels in the IRB in Pakistan;
• A gap analysis of existing policy, legal, and institutional architecture at all levels of
government (i.e., federal, provincial, and local) governing plastic waste management,
which can be used as the basis for engagement with the Government of Pakistan (at
federal or provincial levels) for setting policy and investment priorities; and findings will
align and contribute towards World Bank global and regional agenda on plastic waste
in river, marine and coastal pollution.
• The insights from data collection and analysis (in-situ and remote sensed), literature
review, and stakeholder consultations to be presented in narrative form, with critical
gaps (including monitoring and enforcement), key challenges, and possible areas for
intervention clearly highlighted and elaborated;
• The insights from stakeholder consultations in the solid waste management sector;
• Illustration on the potential role of the informal sector and the private sector in solid
waste management, including plastics, using the 4R principles and integrated solid
waste management framework;
• Recommendations to clean-up the IRB and reduce plastics in IRB waterways with the
ultimate goal of mitigating marine litter and pollution, including investment priorities,
setting targets for implementation and monitoring, and policy and institutional changes.

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 Selection No: 1270399
Technical Proposal

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