LOGOS Phase II supported the municipalities of Viti / Vitina and Hani i Elezit / Elez Han in the field of waste management. These two municipalities prioritized waste management as a topic for LOGOS assistance. This illustrates LOGOS’ emphasis on “on-demand support”.
As described in the Comprehensive Status Proposal for Kosovo and thus in Kosovo’s Constitution, municipalities have gained the full and exclusive competence for the provision and maintenance of public services and utilities, which includes waste management. Municipalities however faced difficulties in effectively managing their waste due to the absence of waste management plans, lack of expertise in this field and also legal uncertainties. The development of sustainable waste management plans has a key role to play in the achievement of a clean environment. In this context, LOGOS facilitated the analysis of the current situation in the selected municipalities and supported them in developing their Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP).
Final solid waste management plans were adopted in Viti / Vitina and Hani i Elezit / Elez Han in 2012. Therefore, LOGOS partner municipalities were among the first municipalities to have a solid waste management plan as well as a financial plan.
Support activities on waste management
LOGOS’ support on waste management comprised different methodologies ranging from trainings to coaching of municipal staff on drafting methodologies and technical standards required for waste management plans. LOGOS also facilitated public consultations, organized a study tour in Slovenia and financially supported the purchase of equipment necessary for implementing the adopted waste management plans.
LOGOS accompanied and supported the whole preparation and drafting process of the municipal waste management plans. This implied first training municipal staff and members of the civil society on how to analyse waste implications and the situation of their respective municipalities (see below). Once a waste assessment was ready, LOGOS consultants provided technical advice to the work of the municipal working groups and ensured that legal requirements were fulfilled (also see below).
In addition, a study tour was organised to Slovenia in April 2011 in order to learn from other experiences in the region. The program comprised meetings with different stakeholders in the field of waste management such as the representatives of the Slovenian Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, local government officials as well as the management of public and private waste companies in Slovenia. Municipal officials were exposed to good practices on waste management, were shown effective waste collection systems, management and financial plans and the system designed to manage the fees. This information was meant to provide Kosovo municipal officials with possible examples and sources of inspiration for the development of their own waste management systems.
Additionally LOGOS facilitated public debates in both partner municipalities in order to present the draft plans to citizens. The FORUM methodology was applied to organize the public consultations. This gave in particular the opportunity to discuss the proposed routes and schedules of waste collection as well as the proposed fees.
Finally, LOGOS supported the municipality of Hani Elezit in the purchase of the necessary waste containers through its Investment Fund. The municipality led the procurement process and prepared the delivery plan per family. Every household was provided with one container (120 l) as well as containers for collective buildings (1.1 m3).
Assessments of waste management systems
In a first stage, LOGOS supported the assessment of the waste production and current waste management systems at the local level. As stated above, Hani i Elezit and Viti/Vitina were the selected partner municipalities as a result of their request for support in this field. The assessments were conducted by municipal staff, students, and waste companies who were initially trained to the requirements of such an exercise by the consultants that facilitated the process. These assessments were aimed at gaining a better understanding of the problems at stake and of the specific needs of both partner municipalities. The analysis reports furthermore mapped out the possibilities for improvement, and proposed guidelines for a course of action and procedures in managing waste in the future.
In more concrete terms, a waste analysis consists of an assessment of the population and households in the area under investigation, the amount of waste produced and the amount of containers present, the current number of vehicles available for collection in the municipality and the amount of waste collection days. In addition samples of the waste composition were made in order to make a prognosis on the waste quantity and composition for the coming years. In this respect, these waste assessments were also useful in determining the percentage of waste produced that is recyclable or non-recyclable and in estimating the possibilities for composting. The assessment helped the municipalities predict and plan what human and financial resources would be necessary in the future.
The information gathered helped the respective municipalities and LOGOS work on the following concrete objectives: increase the number of households with access to waste services, while paying particular attention to rural zones. To ensure that services and collection are regular, and that systems are financially sustainable. Concrete measures to achieve these targets were to be included in the waste management plans.
Participatory drafting of the Solid Waste Management Plans
The completion of the waste assessments allowed the municipalities of Viti/Vitina and Hani i Elezit to start developing their own waste management plan. For this purpose, Mayors of both partner municipalities first nominated a working group to prepare the draft plan. These groups worked in close coordination with LOGOS’ consultant. In this respect, LOGOS helped the working groups structure their work. The consultant attended all working group meetings, prepared a list of questions to be addressed by the working group and provided technical expertise on how to answer the needs of the respective municipality the best.
LOGOS’ consultant also ensured that the draft Solid Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) comply with Kosovo’s framework legislation in the field of waste. The development of these plans addressed waste management on the municipal territory and was based on all information, lessons learned and experiences gathered through the waste assessments. The plan also contains a detailed financial analysis. This includes an overview of the human and financial resources that are necessary for waste management, operational and maintenance costs. The drafting of the SWMPs went hand in hand with the development of monitoring and implementation systems.
The draft plans were then presented to the public on the occasion of Municipal Forums. Key issues under discussions were the proposed routes and schedules for waste collection as well as the fees to be collected for covering the costs.
PLANS FOR SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT
| Viti | Hani i elezit |
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Cooperation with the AKM in order to adapt Kosovo legal framework on waste
The development of Solid Waste Management Plans was faced with some delay in 2011, due to uncertainty about the legal framework for waste management in Kosovo. The major problem was that it remained unclear who owns the competence for waste management, either the municipalities as stated in the Law on Local Self-Government or regional companies according to the Law on Publicly Owned Enterprises (POE). In this context, LOGOS provided support to the lobbying activities of the Association of Kosovo Municipalities, which seeked a clarification and adaptation of the Law on POE and the Law on Waste.
This cooperation with the AKM and these lobbying activities included the production of articles on the problems and challenges faced by municipalites on waste managment and in the implementation of the legal framework. Another acitivity consisted of organizing a round table with members of the Kosovo Assemby in November 2011. Relevant stakeholders working at both the national and local level came together to discuss the problems and challenges in the field of waste management.
Adopted Plans
The Solid Waste Management Plan of Hani Elezit / Elez Han was approved at the muncipal assembly meeting in January 2012, while the municipal assembly of Viti / Vitina approved the final plan in October of the same year.
Relevant press articles
Schweiz “beseitigt” Müll in Hani i Elezit – Albinfo.ch – 15.10.2012
Zvicra e pajis çdo shtëpi të Hanit të Elezit me shporta bërlloku – Koha Ditore – 15.10.2012
Kontejner për mbeturina për çdo familje të Komunës së Hanit të Elezit – Hani i Elezit/Elez Han – 14.10.2012
Vitia bëhet me plan komunal për menaxhim të mbeturinave – Koha ditore – 21.09.2012
Komunat duan kompetenca, Besiana Xharra, Zëri.info, 23.10.2011,
Vitia dhe Hani i Elezit me plane për menaxhim të mbeturinave, Website of the Municipality of Hani I Elezit, 12 July 2011
Related Pictures
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