Under the “Effective Urban Waste Management for Host Communities Phase II: Strengthening Social Cohesion through Participatory Waste Management” implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the “Zero Waste Training” started on 28 September for educational and public community and municipal staff in Kilis and Haliliye district of Şanlıurfa.

The 51 sessions will reach approximately 7,000 people in Kilis and Haliliye to promote domestic waste management, alleviate adverse impact of sudden and unexpected population surge on environment, human and public health, strengthen the knowledge and understanding of municipalities on domestic recycling for Syrians under Temporary Protection and host communities.

The project aims to create and foster awareness on Zero Waste in children of pre-school and school age by explaining the adverse impact of domestic waste on environment, urban hygiene and natural resources, and ensure sustainability of Zero Waste practices at households. Accordingly, the training will first be delivered to educators, public and municipal staff in Kilis and Haliliye. The first session on 28 September will cover teachers of pre-school, primary and secondary education and municipal administrative staff in the said locations.

Funded by the United States Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (USPRM) with a budget of 3 million USD, the project aims to contribute to raising awareness of Syrians under Temporary Protection and host communities on Zero Waste, recycling, waste management, and furthering the social cohesion through participatory waste management practices.

The “Effective Urban Waste Management for Host Communities Phase II: Strengthening Social Cohesion through Participatory Waste Management” aims to improve the waste management activities of Municipalities of Kilis and Haliliye District of Şanlıurfa through capacity-building and establishing a Zero Waste Management system. Planning to include 10,000 households (involving approximately 40,000 members of the community) in the Zero Waste Management system, the project builds Waste Delivery Centres in Kilis and Haliliye, provides vocational training to create trained recyclers and supports two women’s cooperatives.

Implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation, Municipalities of Kilis and Haliliye District of Şanlıurfa, the project’s final objective is to bring together Syrians under Temporary Protection and host communities around common economic and environmental interests to recover recyclable waste for the economy, and thereby promote social cohesion and create new sustainable livelihoods for all.

The project plans to deliver waste management training to 104 volunteers in Kilis and Haliliye; build two Waste Delivery Centres; collect 2,500 tonnes of recyclable material by sorting-at-source; enhance institutional capacities of Municipalities of Kilis and Haliliye District of Şanlıurfa to establish the Zero Waste Management system; hold awareness-raising sessions for households, schools and public institutions; supply vehicles, containers, machinery and equipment to municipalities; and provide training to 200 people, of whom 50% are Syrians, to produce goods out of recycled materials.