AUICK First 2008 Workshop

THEME

Population and Environmental Management in Urban Planning - Domestic Waste and Greening

BACKGROUND

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) State of World Population 2007 report, 2008 will mark the first time that more than half of the world's population live in urban areas. Cities embody the environmental damage done by modern civilization, yet they also contain the solutions.

The 1994 International  Conference in Population and Development's Programme of Action (POA) states its objective in chapter 3.28 to "ensure that population, environmental and poverty eradication factors are integrated in sustainable policies, plans and programmes". Chapter 2, principle 6 states that sustainable development "requires that the interrelationships between populaiton , resources, the environment and development should be fully recognized, properely managed and brought into harmonious, dynamic balance."

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), adopted at the UN Millenium Summit in 2000, also define "Environmental Sustainability" as one of the eight goals, incorporating the following  three targets: 1) Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources; 2) Halve by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water; and 3) By 2020 to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers.

UNFPA, one of AUICK's sponsors, raises awareness of the interrelationships between global population growth, demographic dynamics, the environment and sustainable development. For sustainable socio-economic development, it is globally recognized that the harmony pf economic development and environmental protection is most important. As this is a global concern, and each nations is composed of local environments, environmental protection must be achieved locally if it is to be achieved globally.

Today, medium-sized cities in Asia are experiencing rapid populaiton growth and socio-economic changes. While the concentration of population in urban areas encourages economic activities and improves living conditions, effective measures must be put in place for environmental protection, especially at the local level.

AIM

UNFPA supports key population, environment and sutainable development activities at global, regional and national levels. From this standpoint, the first AUICK workshop of 2008 will focus on improved knowledge to address the urban policy implications of the links between population processes and environmental problems, esprcially domestic waste and greening. The workshop is designed for senior officials of AUICK Associate Cities (AACs) who are in the highest or second highest position of the department which administers city planning or environmental protection.

The workshop aims to deepen its participants' understanding and know-how on the theme through presentations, case studies, discussions on current states and challenges their cities face in the fileds of domestic waste and greening. The particioants will also develop a concrete action plan or environmental management to be implemented upon their return to their cities.

The workshop is designed to stimulate the exchange of information and experience among the participants themselves. Therefore, they are expected to participate actively  (in English) in discussions and presentations during the workshop period.

PARTICIPANTS

Mr. saifuddin Mahmud Katebi
Chief Conservancy Officer, Chittagong City Corporation, Bangladesh

Mr. Xia Guoqiang
Vice-Presidesnt, Administration of Weihai City Planning, Weihai Municipal Governmnet Weihai, China

Ms. Usha Kakarla
Mr. Ramu Mahalingam, Executive Engineer, Solid Waste Management Department, Corporation of Chennai, India

Mr. Hidayat Syah
Head, Cleanliness and Gardens Department, Surabaya City Government, Indonesia

Mr. Ramali Bin Awang
Director, Landscape Department Kuantan Municipal Council Kuantan, Malaysia

Dr. Rai Qamar-Uz Zaman
Deputy District Officer, Solid Waste management, City District Government Faisalabad, Pakistan

Ms. Loreli Faustino Ricasa
Engineer I Environmental Sanitation and Management Office, Olongapo City Government, Philippines

Ms. Piyanuch Panchapan
Sanitary Officer Ministry of Interior, Department of Local Administration, Khon Kaen, Thailand

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Anh
Deputy Director, Department of Natural Resource and Environment, Danang Peoples's Committee, Vietnam

<Accompanying Interpreter>

Ms. Xu Xiuwei
Interpreter Foreign Affairs Office, Weihai Municipal Governmrnt Weihai, China

Ms. Tran Thi Thanh Nga
Programme Seｃretary, UNFPA Vietnam Office, Hanoi, Vietnam

PERIOD

From Wednesday 28 May – Saturday 7 June 2008

SCHEDULE/PROGRAM

REVIEW

Throughout the Second 2008 Workshop, its participants provided feedback on each component of the workshop program, to provide a guide for the AUICK Secretariat on future workshop implementation.

Presentations were given on health care and policies directed at the welfare of the aged in both Kobe City and the AACs, as well as from a global perspective, and from the viewpoint of UNFPA.

The presentations were described as ‘instructive’ for the participants as city administrators, providing ‘rich information of health conditions of Kobe City’, as well as ‘very informative’, ‘very appropriate’ and ‘enlightening’. Participants also said that the presentations provided an importance chance for the sharing of relevant knowledge and information, and that some of the programs could be implemented in the AACs.

Site visits were arranged to nursing and care homes for the aged in Kobe, as well as the WHO Kobe Center and an academic institute for the over 60s. Participants expressed being deeply impressed by the facilities and services offered to the elderly, as well as by the information gathered from the WHO Center visit. Participants commented that the policies implemented by Kobe City could be replicated in the AACs

The AAC City Reports provided the useful experiences of the cities represented at the workshop, and after being presented with Action Plan guidelines that were ‘very clear, and informative’, the participants drafted plans to improve the welfare of the aged populations in their cities. These plans were re-drafted and presented to members of AUICK’s International Advisory Committee, for further advice as to their implementation. This implementation began upon the participants’ return to their cities, and will be periodically monitored by the AUICK Secretariat.

Workshop participants praised the UNFPA Seminar of 31 October for its citizen audience participation, ‘AUICK’s role on aging and urban development was displayed fully to the public’ through the seminar. The comments and experience shared by IAC members at the seminar were deemed ‘very interesting and of high quality’.

Overall, ‘a good balance of lectures and practical training through field trips’, the ‘appropriate and informative’ level of the course as a whole, and the ‘enhancement of knowledge and skills’ were the comments provided by participants upon the conclusion of the workshop.