Participants from Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Marshall Islands during the launching of the 2nd sub-regional workshop on disaster waste management at the Koror State Constitutional Hall on February 18.
Over 50 participants from Pacific Island Countries (PICs)and Japan kicked off the three-day workshop that tackles a unique way of dealing or handling disasters and that is by harmonizing the roles of disaster and solid waste management offices in responding to natural disasters.
Officials from solid waste management and disaster risk reduction management offices of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI)convened for a three-day workshop on disaster waste management held at the Koror State Constitutional Hall from February 18 to 20.
Through the workshop, which was sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in collaboration with the Japanese Technical Cooperation Project for Promotion of Regional Initiative on Solid Waste Management in Pacific Island Countries (J-PRISM) and Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme(SPREP), participating countries aim to understand processes and systems on disaster management among Pacific Island Countries, understand management of disaster waste during natural disasters, and key issues and challenges affecting disaster management disaster waste among PICs.
At the end of the workshop, participants also aim to draft guidelines and framework for PICs’ Disaster Waste Management (DWM).
JPRISM Assistant Chief Adviser Faafetai Sagapolutele, in an interview with Island Times, said that the management of disaster waste is part of the JPRISM 2’s project that is funded by the Japan government.
The workshop in Palau, according to Sagapolutele, is the second sub-regional workshop on disaster waste management. The first workshop began last year in Samoa which covered Southern Pacific Island Countries.
Sagapolutele said that they aim to put the desired guidelines and frameworks into actions rather than just remain mere written guidelines. (Rhealyn C. Pojas)