Highlights

A webinar will be provided, if you would like to participate register here and will get back to you with our availabilities.

Context and Rationale

Following the exchanges during the Peer to Peer learning workshop “Mediterranean Municipalities at the Forefront of the Refugee Crisis” which took place in Amman May 30-June 1st, 2016, the Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) launched a Host Municipalities Learning Network in September 2016. Within the framework of this network, and  as part of its Mediterranean Refugees and Host Communities Knowledge Action Program the CMI will be organizing a series of Peer to Peer Learning Workshops and Webinars  focusing on priority sectors identified by refugees hosting communities aiming at supporting Mediterranean municipalities and local authorities for a better service delivery in the context of the refugee crisis.

Municipalities of neighboring countries have seen their waste management capacities challenged by the massive influx of Syrian refugees. Although not specifically affected, the West Bank has had long term experience with internally displaced populations and service delivery in a fragile context. It has been affected by environmental deterioration and pollution linked to uncontrolled and unmonitored landfills, causing health, social and economic risks. Palestinian central and local authorities have taken innovative and successful measures to considerably improve solid waste management, in particular in the Southern West Bank. These measures include the creation of specialized institutions in the form of Joint Service Councils, achieving full cost recovery, creating an inclusive approach to target affected people, such as waste pickers, encouraging citizen engagement in monitoring service delivery, and partnership with the private sector in a fragile context.

Objective

The Peer to Peer Learning Workshop on Solid Waste Management aims at building on the Palestinian successful experience and look at the challenges faced by Mediterranean local governments hosting refugees in order to learn from their respective experiences, as well as possibly scale up and replicate solid waste management innovative solutions.

The one-day Workshop will take place after a half-day technical field visit to the Al Minya landfill and the new Yatta regional dumpsite. This will offer the participants the chance to see first-hand the Palestinian project which improved local service delivery in the field of Solid Waste Management.

The Workshop - to be held in Bethlehem- will also offers virtual connections for participants outside of Palestine and will highlight the success story of Palestinian Joint Service Councils in managing solid waste. Participants will also have chance to discuss and share feedbacks gathered during the field visit to Al Minya landfill and Yatta regional dumpsite. Finally, the discussion will be enriched as Jordanian and Turkish municipalities’ representatives will present their experiences. 

Targeted Audience

Mediterranean municipalities hosting a high number of refugees: Palestinian, Jordanian and Turkish local government representatives, and relevant waste management stakeholders. In addition, a virtual exchange will be organized during the one-day Learning Workshop with Lebanese and Iraqi local authority representatives.

Resources

Agenda 

Summary of Discussion

Southern West Bank Solid Waste management Project

Participants’ Presentations

• Mr. Akram Allan, Mayor of Al-Thahiriya, Palestine: The City of Al-Thahiriya (Arabic)
• Engr. Yasser Dweik, Executive Director, Higher Joint Services Council for Hebron and Bethlehem Governorates, Palestine: An Integrated Solid Waste Management Scheme (Arabic)
• Mr.Niquola Khamees, Mayor of Beit Jala, Palestine: The City of Beit Jala (Arabic)
• Mr.Gökhan Yaman, Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, Turkey: Waste Management: Gaziantep, Turkey Example (Arabic, English)
• Mr. Kadir Sezer, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, ISTAÇ, Turkey: Istanbul Experience in Solid Waste management (Arabic, English)
• Ms. Janette Uhlmann, Senior Program Officer, CMI: CMI Host Municipalities Network (Arabic, English)

Media Round-Up

• Bethlehem: an International Workshop on Solid Waste Management, Maan News (Arabic)
• An International Workshop on the Palestinian Experience in Solid Waste Management, AlQuds (Arabic)
• An International Workshop on Solid Waste Management: With Jordanian and Turkish Participants, PNN (Arabic)

Photos