On 27 and 28 March 2019, the Governorate of Kirkuk in collaboration with the University of Kirkuk, and the support of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP), held a Debris Management Workshop at the University of Kirkuk, Iraq.
The purpose of the workshop was to bring together all relevant actors and stakeholders dealing with debris planning, management and implementation with the objective of supporting improved debris management in the Governorate of Kirkuk.
As indicated in the Workshop Concept note (Appendix A), the debris challenges faced by Kirkuk Governorate are different from those in urban centres such as Mosul and Anbar; with damaged houses, municipal buildings and infrastructure being spread out through a largely rural area. Thus, logistics, environmental protection and scheduling of debris works are all aspects that need to factor this specific rural context in debris planning.
The management of debris in the Governorate of Kirkuk is a pressing challenge since the presence of debris on people’s properties is hindering their return to rehabilitate and reconstruct their homes. The removal of debris is therefore a prerequisite to the recovery of the conflict affected areas of Kirkuk Governorate.
At the same time, there are opportunities that can be gained from robust and proper debris planning, such as employment generation, cost reduction in subsequent reconstruction works and better environmental management. Consequently, it is critical that those responsible for debris planning are aware of these opportunities.
The primary objective of the debris management workshop was to support local authorities at the district and sub-district level in Kirkuk Governorate to develop debris management plans, which take into account the aforementioned factors as well as bring together key stakeholders that can both contribute to the plan and support its implementation.
The workshop was also a unique event gathering for the first time all relevant parties for the specific purpose of discussing and agreeing on fundamental issues relating to debris management; something that had not happened yet in the Governorate of Kirkuk.
