Overview

In the context of the BMZ “Local Government Expertise for the Middle East” Initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Connective Cities organised the 2nd international project workshop with Jordanian and German municipalities and waste management public utility companies.

In the course of the dialogue event, participants from municipalities in Jordan (Deir Allah, Irbid, Jerash, Karak, Madaba, Mafraq, Ramtha and Wasattyah) and German experts from Castrop-Rauxel, Eschweiler, Hamburg and Jena informed each other about examples of good practice in integrated waste management. The cornerstones of a local strategy were discussed along the lines of a municipal waste management plan.

Keynotes

Results

The peer-to-peer consultation process was oriented on the concrete challenges facing the Jordanian cities. They developed concrete project ideas ranging from waste separation through recycling of valuable substances and composting and raising awareness on the part of the population to cooperation with the private sector.

One of the ways of putting the project ideas into concrete terms and implementing them will be via possible knowledge partnerships in the context of the BMZ “Municipal Knowhow for the Middle East Initiative” (www.initiative-nahost.de). In addition to the development of a multilateral learning and development network for sustainable urban development, in particular regarding the provision of public services, the pool of experts on municipal consultation through Connective Cities will be involved.

The workshop was run in cooperation with the bilateral development programme “Support of Jordan Communities in Solid Waste Management in dealing with the Syrian refugees crises” (ADHOC), which works together closely with the Jordanian municipalities involved in the scheme.