Local public authorities and NGO representatives from Floreşti rayon gathered in Floreşti Rayon Council, where participated in an initiation meeting to the process of drafting the ‘Solid Waste Management’ (SWM) chapter of the Socio-economic Development Strategy of Floresti rayon (SEDS Floresti).
The meeting, attended by 27 mayors from Floresti rayon, was held within the pilot project ‘Improvement of solid waste management services in Floresti rayon’ conducted by the North Regional Development Agency (North RDA) and funded by the German Government through the project ‘Modernization of local public services in the Republic of Moldova’, managed by the German Development Cooperation through GIZ.
The chapter on SWM from Floreşti SEDS will be developed in accordance with the Regional Sector Programme (RSP), Solid Waste Management (SWM) field. This strategic document was developed with the support of the German Government and approved within the meeting of North Regional Development Council of 13 February 2013.
North RDA Director, Ion Bodrug said that the regionalization process of communal services is a very complicated thing. ‘Floresti is the first rayon in the north of the country where, in several localities, is operating a sanitation joint stock company. It is an important step. In order to have a viable SWM system in the entire Floresti rayon, we need a strategic document. We can have such a document only with the contribution of each of us’, said the director Ion Bodrug.
Liuba Babalau, specialist in the design, implementation and monitoring of projects within the North RDA, talked to the mayors on the RSP in SWM for North Development Region (NDR), divided into two waste management zones. Zone 1 of NRD covers Sangerei, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Rascani, Soroca, Drochia rayons and Balti municipality. Zone 2 of NDR includes Ocnita, Donduseni, Edinet and Briceni rayons. Both zones correspond to arrangements from Waste Management Strategy. The investments required for SWM projects in the NDR amount to about EUR 32 million.
In turn, Vladislav Cantea, expert in SWM from GIZ, referred to a number of peculiarities in the development process of the SWM chapter, also presenting an action plan. One of the subsequent actions after today’s meeting involves collecting statistical data about the localities involved in the project. It was agreed that municipalities will present to GIZ experts statistical data within two weeks. On the need to collect qualitative data was talking Igor Neaga, regional GIZ advisor.
‘When we started the implementation of the SWM project, we did not have the feasibility study. As we talk for a longer period on the waste problem, we should not stop here and continue what we wanted. It’s time to have a development strategy of the entire rayon and submit to North RDA more regional development projects. We are on the right path. I urge you all to do our Moldova cleaner’, said the Mayor of Floreşti town, Grigore Cojocaru.
Ala Starcu, the president of Public Association ‘Areopagus’ advocated for ecological approach to the problem of waste. ‘I use ecological products. I do not produce waste. Therefore, I do not need to conclude a contract for SWM service, which is required by the city hall’ said Ala Starcu.
In the following period, until September-October, North RDA and GIZ will provide Floresti rayon authorities with technical assistance in the drafting of the SWM chapter of SEDS Floreşti, so that, beginning with 2016 the strategic document could be valid. This will enable local authorities from Floresti rayon to obtain financing in order to achieve the pilot project on the improvement of solid waste management services.
According to the Public Health Center of Floresti rayon, because of the poor waste management, the chemical composition of drinking water in most wells (90-95%) does not meet sanitary standards. Also, much of the surface water (60-70%) is polluted.
