Meeting on the Development of the Regional Waste Management Plan for Kakheti Region

On 22nd March 2022, the next workshop on the development of Kakheti Regional Waste Management Plan (RWMP) was held in Telavi City, the conference room of Holiday Inn. The meeting was organized by Georgian Society of Nature Explorers “Orchis” (GSNE “Orchis”) and Swedish waste management Association of Five Municipalities Gästrike återvinnare in the frames of the Keep Georgia Tidy Project funded by the Government of Sweden.

The Deputy State Attorney in Kakheti Region Mr. Platon Kalmakhelidze, the Chair of GSNE “Orchis” Mrs. Mariam Kimeridze, the Waste Management Expert of Gästrike återvinnare Mr. Per-Olof Hallberg, the Communication Expert of Gästrike återvinnare Mr. Johan Englund, the Lead Waste Management Expert of GSNE “Orchis” Mrs. Khatuna Chikviladze, and the working group established in the frames of the project for the preparation of Kakheti RWMP, which comprises the regional administration of Kakheti and representatives of the self-government of all eight municipalities of the region (Telavi, Akhmeta, Kvareli, Gurjaani, Sagarejo, Sighnaghi, Lagodekhi, Dedoplistskaro), total 30 persons participated in the meeting.

The development of the RWMP has been started in the frames of the Keep Georgia Tidy Project to ensure legal compliance of the municipalities concerning the preparation of the second 5-year Waste Management Plan for municipal waste. The RWMP will address the requirements of the Waste Management Code, the National Waste Management Strategy (2016-2030) and the National Action Plan of Georgia, and it will be aligned to the management plans of certain wastes. It will consider the best international practices, among them Sweden experience in the municipal waste management which is based on the cooperation and joint management through the Association of the municipalities.

The RWMP has being designed in participatory manner, together with relevant stakeholders. The working group including the representatives of all municipalities of Kakheti Region was established for this purpose. Activities of the working group is coordinated by the Governor’s Office through engagement of the international and national experts. A Problem Three Analysis method has been applied to realistically assess the existing situation and define directions of the municipal waste management at the regional level. Main gaps and needs were identified based on this analysis. The first draft of the RWMP has been already prepared considering the findings of the situational analysis and legal framework. Kakheti RWMP covers 5-year (2023-2027) period. A public hearing will be organized to discuss the final draft of the action plan with the local population, and their comments and suggestions will be used to finalize the plan. Furthermore, the RWMP will be updated according to the relevant legal changes, or recent updates of the national strategic documents related to the waste management.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss aspects of the waste management planning and collaboration between the municipalities of the region in this process, work plan and time-schedule proposed for the preparation of the Regional WMP, and next steps to be undertaken together with Kakheti working group. In addition, the priority directions and main goals were defined during the meeting in order to prepare relevant measures that will form the main part of the action plan.

Swedish international experts that are involved in the Keep Georgia Tidy Project shared Swedish experience in the area of waste management to the meeting participants – this country is among the worldwide leaders of waste management and has considerable experience in cooperation between municipalities in this sector that enables them to secure competence, share investment costs, develop regional waste management systems and landfills, optimize work, ensure compliance to the national legislation, help each other with common problems, and share ideas/innovations.

The meeting in Telavi City on 22nd March this year was preceded by a range of activities carried out together with the regional and municipal authorities during 2019-2021, among them meetings that were needed to get prepared for the development of the RWMP and to collect relevant information. The RWMP has been written in close cooperation with the working group to ensure that this document is realistic, it is acceptable for the regional/ local authorities and waste management company, and the experience of proper waste management planning is accumulated in Kakheti Region.

The aim of Kakheti RWMP is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the local self-governance in the municipal solid waste management and delivery of clean-up services in the municipalities through developing a cooperation platform in order to efficiently manage municipal waste. The finalization of Kakheti Regional Waste Management Plan is envisaged by the end of May 2022. The responsibility on the implementation of this plan lies on the regional and municipal authorities, within their competence.

The meeting on the development of the Regional WMP for Kakheti Region was organized by GSNE “Orchis” and Swedish Association of Five Municipalities Gästrike återvinnare in the frames of the Keep Georgia Tidy Project funded by the Government of Sweden, which is being implemented by GSNE “Orchis” with the support of Georgian Ministries of Environment Protection & Agriculture, Regional Development & Infrastructure, and Education & Science, in cooperation with the Solid Waste Management Company of Georgia and Environmental Information & Education Centre.