The GEF “Municipal Solid Waste Management Project” (hereinafter refer to as MSW project) launching workshop was held in Kunming, Yunnan province on May 14-15, 2015. Around 60 representatives from World Bank, MOF, MOHURD, MEP and Yunnan EPD, Kunming municipal government, Ningbo environmental protection bureau, other relevant agencies and incineration plants attended the workshop. The workshop introduced the project content and specific implementation requirement as well as detailed explanation for procedure and regulation on grant disbursement, procurement, environment management and social safeguard. MEP/FECO Deputy Director General Mr. Yu Lifeng, manager of World Bank East Asia and Pacific Region Mr. Iain Shuker, Vice Mayor of Kunming city Mr. He Gang and Deputy Director of Yunnan EPD Mr. Zhang Zhihua attended the workshop and delivered opening speeches.

At the workshop, Mr. Yu Lifeng expressed appreciation for all stakeholders’ efforts made during the project preparation stage, raised specific requirement for next step project implementation and management, and extended the wish that all parties make concerted effort according to project design and management requirement, to smoothly realize project objectives. Mr. Iain Shuker reviewed the previous cooperation of China and World Bank on POPs projects, spoke highly of China’s work in project development and management, and made commitment that World Bank would provide continuous support as always. On behalf of the project demonstration city, Mr. He Gang said that Kunming would organize relevant department and participating organizations to actively carry out project demonstration activities, so to realize project objective and enhance the MSW management in Kunming.

MSW project implementation period is from 2015 to 2019. Its main objective is to avoid and reduce in the MSW incineration sector dioxin and other pollutants generation and emission. The project will carry out capacity building, adopt BAT/BEP to carry on the idea of synergistic pollution reduction for the whole duration. It will upgrade relevant MSW management departments’ supervision and monitoring level and incineration plants’ operational management level. The launching workshop signalled the official starting of the MSW project.