Coordination Meeting of Representatives of Ukrainian Communities and the Municipality of Norcia (Umbria, Italy)
During the meeting, participants introduced their communities, discussed the challenges of recovery, and shared their expectations for the upcoming study visit.
Opening the meeting, Lidiia Shymon, representative of the D2R consortium, emphasised that the upcoming visit is not only part of the project's work programme but also an opportunity to strengthen international cooperation and launch future joint initiatives.
“For us, this is an opportunity to build cooperation between Ukraine and Italy, understand which competences we can exchange, and find ways to support one another.”
Representatives of the Ukrainian communities presented their recovery efforts and discussed the key challenges they continue to face as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They also shared their expectations for the upcoming study visit to Italy, where they will explore practical approaches to construction and demolition waste management and post-disaster reconstruction.
A representative of the Hostomel community, Oleksandr Ivchenko, noted that more than 3,000 buildings had been destroyed in the community during Russia's full-scale invasion. For this reason, international experience in the reuse of construction and demolition waste, as well as practical waste management mechanisms, is of particular importance.
“New practical and legal experience in construction and demolition waste management—from both regulatory and practical perspectives—will be extremely valuable for our community.”
A representative of the Borodianka community, Oleksandr Sakharuk, emphasized that although Borodianka and the Italian town of Norcia suffered from different types of tragedies, they share a common experience of recovering from large-scale destruction. For this reason, the community is committed to integrating circular economy principles into the reconstruction process—from waste sorting and recycling to the reuse of construction materials.
“Participating in this project gives us an opportunity to think more strategically. We are particularly interested in learning about Italy’s practical experience in establishing a complete construction and demolition waste management cycle.”
A representative of the Irpin community, Yaroslav Boyarkin, spoke about the scale of recovery following the de-occupation of the city. She noted that significant reconstruction work still lies ahead, making international partnerships and knowledge exchange an essential component of the community's continued recovery.
“It is very important for us to learn from international experience in this field.”
Sofia Shityak, representing the Lviv City Institute, presented the organisation’s work on construction and demolition waste management. She spoke about the development of a system for recording, sorting, and reusing materials, as well as digital tools that will help coordinate waste management processes more effectively.
“We are working on creating a system that will bring together information from all stakeholders involved and help organise construction and demolition waste management and material reuse more efficiently.”
Special attention during the meeting was given to the Italian experience. Representatives of the Umbria Region presented their approaches to post-earthquake reconstruction, shared their experience in construction and demolition waste management, and introduced the programme for the upcoming study visit. These are the practices that Ukrainian communities will have the opportunity to explore during the Study Visit and Exchange Activities.
Summing up the meeting, Iryna Yarmolenko, representative of the D2R consortium, highlighted the long-term value of international cooperation:
“Perhaps in the future we will implement new projects together, establish new forms of cooperation, or create new opportunities for knowledge exchange. It is initiatives like these that lay the foundation for future partnerships.”
The participants will soon take part in the Study Visit and Exchange Activities in Italy, which will combine technical discussions, study visits, and practical knowledge exchange between Ukrainian and Italian partners.