Time: 2-4.30 p.m. CET / 3-5.30 Kyiv
The thematic workshop “Promoting circularity in rebuilding Ukrainian cities” took place on 25 November 2022.
UNECE is currently supporting Ukrainian national and local governments in their efforts to plan and prepare for rebuilding and reconstruction. To “build back better”, UNECE is implementing the project “UN4Kharkiv: Integrated Rehabilitation of Settlements (Territories) in Ukraine with a pilot project in the city of Kharkiv”. The destruction caused by the war has affected nearly every area of the city of Kharkiv. According to the city government, as of mid-October 2022, there were 4,957 residential houses, 106 kindergartens, 116 schools, 88 hospitals, 36 km of water supply networks, 563 administrative buildings, 168 trams and buses, and 60 cultural institutions and universities destroyed.
Waste from destruction creates an enormous challenge for Ukrainian cities. Even before the war, construction waste was already a big contributor to landfill waste. Now, the magnitude of the challenge increased dramatically. Moreover, rebuilding cities will require massive amounts of natural resources, which could increase pressure on natural ecosystems. To reduce this pressure, the principles of circular economy should be applied from the beginning.
The goal of the workshop was to discuss challenges, international practices, solutions and best examples to ensure circularity when rebuilding Ukrainian cities, focusing on the city of Kharkiv. It provided practical solutions and support the regional exchange of experiences and good practices in countries of the UNECE region on promoting rebuilding Ukrainian cities after the war using circular economy principles.
Speakers included representatives of the cities of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv, Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, United Nations agencies and international organizations, and Ukrainian and international NGOs and businesses.