Solid Waste Management Study Tour –
DESPRO– Decentralisation Support in Ukraine
In the framework of the Decentralisation Support Project DESPRO, Skat organised and led a Study Tour to Switzerland, Austria and Southern Germany, with the aim of giving partners of DESPRO from Ukraine the opportunity to learn about expertise on efficient and effective solid waste management systems. The Ukrainian delegation included partners of ministries, regional and district governments, village heads, and public entrepreneurs.
Country:
Switzerland
Project Period:
2011
Services Provided:
Knowledge Sharing, Networking, Training & Capacity Development
- Thematic organisation, logistics, implementation of a study tour
Name of Staff involved and functions performed:
Project Manager: Claudia Schneider
WES Specialist: André Olschewski
Name of Client:
Name of Partners:
UNDP, Council of Europe
Description of the Project:
Skat prepared the study tour thematically, organised all the visits, engaged resource persons as well as managed all logistical matters.
The study tour started with practical insights into waste management through visits to sanitary land-fills and waste sorting stations in Switzerland, Southern Germany and Austria (Land Vorarlberg). The tour also included visits to private entrepreneurs who manage waste sorting and recycling stations of all kinds of different types of waste. Furthermore, composting facilities were visited to learn how to gather and treat organic waste. The tour was rounded up through a visit of a waste incineration plant, where participants were able to see how waste is burnt and electricity and thermal energy is gained out of the process.
The practice-oriented visits were enriched through an in-depth introduction to the Swiss Federal Political System by the Institute of Federalism, Fribourg. The presentation addressed the Swiss legal framework for solid waste management and infrastructure, as well as inter-municipal cooperation.
Representatives of the Office of Environment and Energy, Canton St.Gallen authority, and from the Sanitation and Waste Disposal Department, Municipality of St.Gallen, gave participants eye-opening insights into waste prevention, disposal, waste as a valuable resource, the various actors in the process, finances, planning as well as distribution of responsibilities in integrated solid waste management.
Skat organised a wrap-up workshop at the end of the study tour whereby participants could reflect on the major impressions and how they will use the lessons learned in the further project implementation of DESPRO.
