As Solid Waste Management is dominated by economic capacity constraints, CODWAP focuses on a number of issues, which are often overlooked in African and Pacific Regions (APR) countries over other priorities (mainly irrigation and sanitation). CODWAP aims to establish an active and sustainable co-operation forum on curriculum development, which is consistent with APR socio-economic development priorities. The development of SWM educational tools, which are customised, easy-to- use, practical and suitable to the needs and priorities of the participating APR countries, is formulated around a Master Course on SWM (to be piloted by the University of Mauritius), as well as a number of related training courses, both in the EU and APR countries.
Developing educational tools suitable to local needs and priorities
The proposed Master Course, focused mainly on SWM, but related also to environmental protection, engineering and management, aims to produce skilled scientists and upgrade university capacities, knowledge, awareness and skills of teaching staff. The aim is to blend and integrate the existing know-how and expertise of EU partners with local APR educational systems.
A curriculum addressing master course students and a handbook addressing governmental and/or local authorities and special social groups will be developed. The first will consist of three different topics: a) general SWM education, b) SWM policies, methods and technologies, and c) decision making. The handbook will be divided into two parts: a) SWM rules and best practices to be used by citizens and special social groups, and b) green SWM cities: best practices addressing governmental and/ or local authorities and SWM policy makers. Both will incorporate identified best practices and cases as well as a roadmap for decision making and decision support at various levels (strategic, tactical, operational) for SWM.
Training missions and seminars, scheduled as parallel activities, will further put the finger on critical local SWM problems, identify and prioritize specific regional needs / gaps, and promote integrated and sustainable SWM by facilitating outreach, data collection, establishment of active contacts, raising awareness and promoting interactions and feedback. Education and on-the-job vocational training in the SWM sector will be fostered, since the often rapidly increasing economic development and the population growth has led to environmental and hygienic problems. These training missions will also address poverty alleviation and entrepreneurship promotion, via customised modules on sustainable ‘pro-poor SWM’ in social enterprises and handicrafts.
Strengthening local human resources and fostering co-operation between Europe and the African and Pacific Regions
Teacher training will enhance learning and provide examples to future generations. Professors and teaching staff will share the experience of the team with other HEIs in the EU or worldwide. Thus, apart from SWM know-how, teaching methods will be discussed for maximum curriculum material assimilation, penetration and outreach. Furthermore, teaching staff with wide knowledge on the specific subject will provide students with more valuable and updated information transforming the courses to an interactive learning activity with higher efficiency.
Specific consideration of local cultures, local promotion and the broader citizens’ participation to CODWAP activities through info days and public outreach campaigns will all contribute to bridging the gap between the various other stakeholders including the local authorities.
Favourable results are also expected in the field of unemployment alleviation. CODWAP promotes integration and adaptation of action plans in SWM for poverty reduction by providing a roadmap for skills’ assessment of the various involved social groups. They will be invited to upgrade their skills through an evaluation process and learn how they can take advantage of them. Trainers will propose occupations to make a living and be involved in the SWM sector in miscellaneous ways in order to escape social marginalization.
Project Coordinator
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Partners
University of Mauritius
Papua New Guinea University of Technology
Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone
Bremen University of Applied Sciences, Germany
