On June 29, JICA held the first of a series of online seminars (four seminars planned) to share Japan’s knowledge and experience in disaster waste management with Ukraine, which is facing difficulties in dealing with the large amount of destructive waste* generated by the military invasion by Russia.
To improve Ukraine’s capacity to dispose of urban waste, which is increasing due to economic growth after independence, JICA is providing assistance by conducting a survey in 2018 to determine the actual situation and dispatching waste management experts starting in 2020.
From Ukraine, the Ministry of Local Government Development and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources spoke, and from Japan, JICA officials, JICA experts from Nippon Koei, Japan Environmental Sanitation Center, and officials from Higashimatsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture, which was severely damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake, spoke. In addition, over 120 people including representatives from the cities and provinces of Keaau, Halkiu, and Dnipro participated in the conference.
First, the Japanese side provided information on disaster waste disposal in Japan, including an overview of waste disposal during the Great East Japan Earthquake, sorting methods, and temporary storage arrangements. Then, the Ukrainian side reported on the status of generation and treatment of destroyed waste in various regions, and explained the current situation in which it is difficult to simultaneously dispose of destroyed waste while undergoing destruction. During the Q&A session, the Ukrainian side asked many questions, including about the operation of temporary storage of waste in the event of a disaster, and the high demand for information on the treatment of destructive waste was once again felt. In the next and subsequent seminars, we plan to focus on the knowledge and experience of Japanese administration, local governments, related specialized organizations, and private companies, depending on the interest of the Ukrainian side.
© Source JICA