dldp planning Workshop on Waste Management

On November 1st, 2012, dldp organized in the premises of Tirana International Hotel in Tirana, a Planning Workshop to define the support that dldp programme will provide in the field of waste management during 2013.
Participants in this workshop were representatives of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Albania (SCO-A), Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Water Management (MoEFWM), the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWnT), representatives of foreign programmes and organizations, donors, representatives from LGUs and administrative staff of Shkodra and Lezha, as well as dldp partner organizations.
SCO-A Country Director Mr.Holger Tausch in his opening speech thanked the participants in this important meeting for the cooperation and stressed the continuity of Swiss support for further decentralization in Albania.
dldp presented the carried out activities, models developed, achievements and challenges for work performed in the waste sector by the end of October 2012. Also was proposed the dldp as a respond to the recommendations of the National Conference “Local and Regional Waste Management in Albania” for short-term activities and identification of a medium-term trends beyond 2013.
Numerous speakers stressed the importance of the waste sector within public service delivery and at the same time the difficulties faced by this sector as a lack of standards, limited funding or resources.
Deputy Minister Mr.Taulant Bino, in his speech praised the manual published in the frame of dldp as a contribution to all LGUs all over Albania. He stressed also the importance of its actualization as a working document. Mr.Bino asked involvement of dldp programme to support with technical assistance central government institutions that deal with cost estimation. The representative of the MPWaT, Mr.Isa Memia made also a request for support in developing a methodology for the calculation of costs and tariffs.
Other speakers who took the floor shared their doubts about the role of the qark to meet its obligations in the chain of institutions that deal with waste management and difficulties of LGUs in collecting fees.
During 2013 dldp will try to work on three levels: local, regional and national levels. At the local level work will focus on consolidating the achievements by strengthening local capacities in certain cases and improving conditions for interLGU collaboration. At the regional level strengthening regional dialogue as a policy and learning platform as well as dissemination of know-how products on one side will be complematary with further replication of opmitization study as well as piloting lessons learnt for regional implementation on the other side. At national level, the establishment of a pool of trainers and consolidation of curricula in local planning, as well as contribution to national regulatory platform through a bottom up approach.
Considering the complexity of waste management, it needs a long-term vision with clear objectives and greater support. To this extent we must also consider the involvement of other actors such as SECO.
dldp in the coming days will prepare the operational plan of activities to present then presented for approval at the Steering Committee meeting.