Two weeks after the Final Conference of BSNZW, special congratulations and thanks to all lecturers and participants.
Ms. Zekiye Syuleyman, representing the administration of Kirklareli province from Turkey – the coordinating partner of the project, cited data that underline the extend of the waste problem in the wider Black Sea region. At the same time, she described an initiative, that is currently in process in 39 villages of Turkey located on the shores of the Black Sea, for the cooperation of the residents in the effort to recycle organic waste, through a reward and incentives system.
Ms. Tania Gouzouma, trainer of the organization ANTIGONE, presented the actions implemented in the frame of the program in Thessaloniki, while underlying that “we approached the issue of waste by considering all its dimensions, not only the environmental ones, but also the socio-economic ones. When it comes to solutions, we should understand that recycling is not the only solution“. Focusing on the voluntary clean-up actions, Mrs. Gouzuma pointed out that “by collecting waste, we can get an idea of how big is the problem. These clean-ups that we organized seem important, but they are nothing compared to the extent of the problem.”
The project partners from Ukraine also participated in the conference via web platform, as it was not possible for them to travel to Greece. The presentation was made by Mrs. Yelizaveta Turenko from the Institute of Market Problems and Economic & Ecological Research of the National Academy of Ukraine, who -after explaining that the effectiveness of the project was limited due to the war- underlined the importance of preparing a strategic waste management plan in the Odesa region, while also pointing out some changes in legislation that encourage the collection and management of organic waste by local communities.
On the Bulgarian side, the professor of the University of Burgas “Prof. Asen Zlatarov”, Prof. Valentin Nenov, represented the municipality of Tsarevo. Prof. Nenov, while describing the actions implemented in the neighboring country within the frame of the program, underlined that Tsarevo belongs to the regions of Bulgaria close to meeting the goals of the European Union in terms of recycling.
Finally, the MSc, PhD biologist Mr. Giorgos Blionis made an extremely interesting presentation on water management in Thessaloniki over the centuries, placing emphasis on the relations of the people around the Black Sea Region that are rooted in the past, as well as the necessity of the cooperation among them for the sake of the protection of waters and the prevention of their contamination. The presentation was based on the book ” Salonica of waters”, by Blionis G. and Tremopoulos M.