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IPEN plays a key role in connecting and strengthening civil society organizations across South Asia working on chemicals, waste, and health and providing technical guidance, scientific materials, and opportunities to engage in global policy spaces.

South Asia is a diverse and vibrant region with varied landscapes, where people speak hundreds of languages–from Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, and Nepali in the north; to Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam in the south; plus many smaller local languages throughout. Religion and tradition are a big part of everyday life. This mix of geography, culture, and traditions shapes the environmental and health challenges the region faces—severe air pollution, widespread industrial contamination, unsafe pesticide use, and growing waste and plastic pollution are among the region’s challenges. Understanding this diversity is key to how civil society groups and IPEN work together across the region to protect people and the environment.