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AUICK First 2008 Workshop AUICK held its First Workshop of 2008 in Kobe, Japan, from 28 May to 7 June, with the support of Kobe City Government and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The theme of the workshop was “Population and Environmental Management in Urban Planning – Domestic Waste and Greening”. Nine participants were invited from the nine AUICK Associated Cities, as well as two interpreters, and resource persons from AUICK’s International Advisory Committee (IAC).  ‘‘Cities
embody the environmental damage done by modern civilization; yet
experts and policy makers increasingly recognize the potential value of
cities to long-term sustainability. If cities create environmental
problems, they also contain the solutions. The potential benefits of
urbanization far outweigh the disadvantages: The challenge is in
learning how to exploit its possibilities.’
Scavengers at a landfill site in Surabaya CONTENTS 1. BACKGROUND
According
to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) State of World Population
Report of 2007, 2008 marks the first time that more than half of the
world’s population live in urban areas. Medium-sized cities
in Asia are experiencing rapid population growth as well as
socio-economic change. The
first AUICK workshop of 2008 focused on improved knowledge to address
the urban policy implications of the links between population processes
and environmental problems, especially domestic waste and greening. The
workshop was designed for senior officials of the nine AUICK Associate
Cities (AACs), in the highest or second highest position of their
cities’ city planning or environmental protection departments. AUICK invited senior officials of government urban planning, environment and waste management departments, or appropriate organizations, from the AACs: Chittagong (Bangladesh), Weihai (China), Chennai (India), Surabaya (Indonesia), Kuantan (Malaysia), Faisalabad (Pakistan), Olongapo (Philippines), Khon Kaen (Thailand), and Danang (Vietnam). The participants included the following (in alphabetical order by country): Mr.
Saifuddin Mahmud Katebi <Accompanying
Interpreters>
4.1. Opening Remarks The First 2008 Workshop was opened by AUICK President,Dr. Hirofumi Ando, who welcomed participants on behalf of AUICK Chairman, Mr. Tatsuo Yada and his AUICK colleagues; Executive Director, Mr. Toshihiko Ono, and Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Nobuyuki Morimoto. He expressed gratitude to the nine AUICK Associate Cities for each sending participants, to interpreter Ms. Xu Xiuwei, and to the UNFPA Vietnam Office for sending Ms. Tran Thi Thanh Nga as an interpreter. Dr. Ando explained that over the last two decades, AUICK has been working on the issues related to population, development and the environment in Asian cities, in collaboration with UNFPA. The workshop topic of domestic waste management and greening of urban areas was timely, as Kobe had recently hosted a meeting of G-8 environment ministers, where environmental issues were discussed, to be taken up at the G-8 Summit in Hokkaido in July, 2008. The growing magnitude of domestic waste, especially in urban areas, is a great threat to the health and welfare of millions of urban dwellers, and will ultimately affect their survival. It is hoped that through the workshop’s North-South exchange of information from Kobe City, and South-South cooperation among the participants themselves, useful lessons and concrete action plans can be implemented in the AACs. Dr. Ando ended by thanking UNFPA and the Kobe International Center for Cooperation and Communication (KIC) for their continued support, as well as Dr. Gayl D. Ness and Dr. Haryono Suyono, for serving as Resource Persons. 4.2. Presentations 4.2.1. Population Dynamics - Its Impact on Environment and Implication for Local Government Management Policy 
Dr. Gayl D. Ness,
Member,
AUICK International Advisory Committee (IAC) 4.2.2. Population/ Urban Development and Urban Planning of Kobe City
4.2.3. Policy and Best Practices for the Greening of Kobe City   
Mr.
Akihisa Kuriyama and Mr. Jun Onishi, Assistant Managers, Public
Construction Projects Bureau, Parks, Greenery and Landslide Prevention
Department, Kobe City Government 4.2.4. Best Practice Report: Greening in Surabaya
4.2.5. Best Practice Report: Greening in Kuantan
4.2.6. Policy and Best Practices for Waste Managment of Kobe City
4.3. Site Visits 4.3.1. Site Visits to Kobe Greening Projects On Friday afternoon, 30 May, the workshop participants were taken on a tour of some of Kobe’s gardens. The tour was designed to sample the various types of parks and park facilities provided by the city. »»More 4.3.2 Site Visits to Kobe Waste Managment Facilities On Tuesday afternoon, June 3, after hearing about Kobe’s solid waste management in the morning, the participants went on a field visit to three illustrative sites where the actual wastes are managed. »»More 4.4. City Reports and Action Plans As an
integral part of the AUICK workshop, each participant makes an Action
Plan based on lessons learned through presentations, site visits and
discussion sessions on the workshop’s theme. Participants are
encouraged to formulate plans that are both feasible and able to
practically tackle the issues faced by each AUICK Associate
city. The first stage of making the plan is to define the issues/ problems to be solved, and describe measures or ideas to be used to solve them. It is suggested to choose issues that are manageable, and measures that are practical / do-able within a reasonable amount of time. Next, the steps to be taken are identified, administrative steps both within and outside the participant’s office. The steps are arranged in sequential order in a time frame. Some steps can be taken simultaneously, and others have to be staggered. The required financial and political resources and support are then identified, as well as NGO, religious group, media, academic or public support. It is encouraged to solicit technical resources and support from local academic experts/ institutions. The use of resources is reflected in the steps taken. Financial resources can be city budget, commercial/ advertisement, or support from international organizations, and public support can be galvanized through the media. After formulating and presenting their Action Plans, the workshop participants are given recommendations from the AUICK Secretariat and each other, toward the improvement and re-formulation of their plans. 4.4.2. City Reports and Action Plans Following guidelines and advice on the formulation of their action plans, workshop participants were given time to draft, present and re-formulate their plans with the assistance of the AUICK Secretariat, members of the AUICK International Advisory Committee (IAC), resource persons and each other. The results are shown on the following pages: »Chittagong,
Bangladesh by Mr. Saifuddin Mahmud Katebi 4.5. Courtesy Call On The Mayor Of Kobe On 6 June 2008, the AUICK First 2008 Workshop participants and resource persons visited Kobe City Hall to pay a courtesy call on the Mayor of Kobe, Mr. Tatsuo Yada. (Mr. Yada is seated, front left; Mr. Nguyen Dinh Anh is pictured inset.)
Mr. Yada spoke on the recent Kobe G8 Environment Ministers Meeting of 24–26 May. The meeting focused on climate change, biodiversity and the 3Rs (re-use, reduce and recycle), and concluded with an agreement on the long-term goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050. Mr. Yada emphasized that in this context, he trusted that the Workshop Action Plans would enable the reduction of CO² gases, and promote the 3Rs. He highlighted the importance of greening, and the need to develop forests to protect vegetation and replenish water sources. The production of ethanol is meaningless, if it causes the destruction of forests, as emphasized by 2004 Nobel Laureate, Dr. Wangari Maathai, of Kenya. Mr. Yada requested that the workshop participants commit to implementing their Action Plans, and said that further technical training in Kobe would enable substantial results. He wished them success in their respective careers. 4.6. Discussion with Mr. Kazutoshi Sasayama, Special Advisor to AUICK
Mr. Kazutoshi Sasayama, Special Advisor to AUICK and former Mayor of Kobe City, met the participants upon the completion of their workshop schedule. After graduating from Kobe University, Mr. Sasayama joined the city administration as a civil engineer, starting a lifelong career of dedication to the urban planning and development of Kobe. After serving as Executive Director of the Bureau of Urban Planning, he became Deputy Mayor, and then Mayor from 1989 to 2001. Through his experience of the city’s reconstruction after The Second World War, landslides, flooding and the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995, Mr. Sasayama has gained a deep knowledge of the importance of effective urban planning. He stressed the importance of this as a component of the AUICK workshop. Although cities cannot avoid the occurrence of disasters completely, effective urban planning, incorporating each city’s historical and topographical characteristics, can minimize their effects, as in the case of Kobe’s mountain tree planting to minimize landslides. 4.7. FIrst 2008 Workshop Closing Remarks At the conclusion of the First 2008 Workshop, participants were invited to give comments on its implementation. The value of sharing experiences and raising awareness on the workshop’s theme was remarked on, and its presentations were deemed ‘informative and comprehensive’. The waste management system of Kobe, and citizen participation in greening activities were praised by the participants, who also commented that the ‘gap’ in terms of what their cities needed to achieve had been demonstrated through the workshop. UNFPA representation was also commended. The workshop was designed to provide general information on relevant policies and practices, to be followed up by a second workshop for specific technical training. As Asian cities are undergoing ‘explosions’ in population and waste generation, but not in policy implementation, the workshop aimed to carry the experience of its ten participant countries, to convince political leaders of what needs to be done. Then, necessary political commitment can be achieved, despite any administrative constrictions or changes. AUICK workshop participants are seen as a ‘community’, a critical mass of trained officials to develop ideas to be put into practice, which will improve the lives of citizens. This is enhanced through communication and knowledge transfer among past AUICK workshop participants at the city level, and nationally, through the arranging of workshops/ seminars by the AACs themselves. |
Mr.
Tatsuhiko Shinmi, Urban Planning Division, Planning Department, Urban
Planning and Housing Bureau, Kobe City Government 
Dr.
Haryono Suyono, Member of
AUICK’s International Advisory Committee (IAC)
