AKIPRESS.COM - An international roundtable discussion on modern technologies for domestic solid waste management and its investment potential was organized on October 23 by the OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan together with Uzbekistan’s parliament, the Oliy Majlis, and the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan, the OSCE said.

Some 130 participants, including policymakers, representatives of central and local governments of Uzbekistan, international and national businesses, environmental experts, NGOs as well as diplomatic missions and international organizations will discuss good practices in waste management and discuss legal, technical and investment opportunities in this area, advantages and disadvantages, and ways to improve the situation.

Participants will work on recommendations on how to effectively implement waste management policies and on how to facilitate business links between international businesses and host government institutions in this area.

“Sustainable waste management provides a comprehensive inter-disciplinary framework for addressing the problems of managing urban solid waste,” said John MacGregor, the OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan. “Upgrading the coverage of waste management and services and increasing their efficiency is a precondition for improving the environmental quality of cities, and in a global perspective - improving the environmental situation around the world, since as we know environmental problems have no particular borders.”

Boriy Alikhanov, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Uzbekistan’s parliament, the Oliy Majlis, and the Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Central Council of the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan, said: “To address ecological issues, attaining a global level, a special focus is needed not only on the refining of environmental regulation, adoption of environmentally friendly and resource-saving technology, and the enforcement of environmental protection measures. There should also be a focus on raising people’s environmental consciousness, involving the general public in result-oriented initiatives such as redeveloping and landscaping cities and other localities.”