Kick-off project meeting: “Building a bridge of co-operation between municipality, civil society and local citizens on urban waste management in Devoll Municipality”.

The Albanian Centre for Environmental Governance (ACEG) in co-operation with Municipality of Devoll organized the first introductory meeting of the project “Building a bridge of co-operation between municipality, civil society and local citizens on urban waste management in Devoll Municipality “, held on 26 October 2017. The project was organized in the framework of the programme #seniorAlbania, implemented by the regional Environmental centre @REC Albania and financed by the @Embassy of Sweden in Albania.
The project aims to raise public awareness towards waste management issue in all administrative units of Devoll municipality, specifically in Proger, Hocisht, Miras and Qender Bilisht and addressing the local problems by undertaking an innovative approach through authorities, civil society and local habitants.

The ACEG Centre presented the project and opened the discussion with the participants on the local concerns which have been identified by the local authorities and also asked for the establishment of a Local Action Group in order for the latter to prepare a local awareness plan on waste management, joint actions and education sessions with the youth in Devoll.

The project was positively received and immediately gained the support of local authorities and civil society representatives.

The mayor of Devoll municipality Bledjon Nallbati sees an opportunity in the project as it comes in the right moment for the municipality. Starting from January 2018, the Korca Regional landfill will start its operation and all the municipalities, including Devoll will have to send their waste there. In this context the public awareness component addressed by the project will help the municipality for a better service and also less volume of waste to be send to the landfill which is costly.

In addition, through increase of citizens’ engagement the project will promote sustainable development and tourism through a participatory decision-making process, by combining the nature, history and tradition protection.

In the end of the meeting it was agreed the establishment of a Local Action Group composed by 4 administrators from Administrative Units of Miras, Proger, Hocisht and Qender Bilisht, 2 representatives from the Environment and Land Protection Agency and 3 representatives from civil society organizations.