UK Innovation for Green Asia


Subject: NHS Digital Reform, ASEAN River Plastic Cleanup, and Everest Waste Recovery

 1. NHS Fax Machines: Cost & Global Coordination Barrier

  • Estimated fax machines still in use: ~4,000 across NHS trusts

  • Annual cost per unit (hardware, toner, admin, phone line): £1,000–£2,000(!)

  • Total annual cost: £5M–£8M

  • Delivery inefficiencies: Delays in referrals, lost documents, and barriers to international coordination (e.g. Cambodia, ASEAN health partners)

  • Policy ask:

    • Phase out fax by 2027

    • Fund secure, interoperable digital referral tools

    • Frame NHS digital reform as soft power infrastructure for global health diplomacy


    • 2. ASEAN Rivers: Cleanup Potential with UK Tech

RiverPlastic LoadCleanup Potential (tons/year)Tech Options
MekongVery High10,000–20,000Interceptors, booms, drones
IrrawaddyHigh5,000–10,000Floating barriers, AI sensors
Chao PhrayaHigh (urban)2,000–4,000Bubble barriers, litter traps
Tonlé SapHigh (seasonal)1,000–3,000Passive booms, drone mapping

  • Estimated cost for 10-river rollout: $10M–$30M USD/year

  • UK opportunity: Export drones, AI sensors, and river booms via CARA and CPTPP frameworks

3. Everest Waste Recovery: Gurkha-Led Diplomacy

  • Estimated waste on Everest: 30–60 tons

  • Annual human waste: ~14 tons

  • Cleanup cost: ~$1M–$2M/year for scalable operations

  • UK opportunity:

    • Support Gurkha-led Everest cleanups

    • Fund UK-Nepal environmental diplomacy

    • Showcase veteran-led climate action under CARA

Strategic Alignment

  • CARA: Climate Action for a Resilient Asia — £274M UK programme

  • CPTPP: UK’s Pacific trade pact — includes environmental cooperation

  • DFID/DEC: revitalised? Other Third Sector?

  • Veteran Diplomacy: Leverage Gurkha networks for Everest and Mekong cleanups

  • Tech Diplomacy: NHS digital reform + UK river cleanup tech = exportable soft power

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