DBKK tried and failed to change people’s mindset on waste management — Mayor
KOTA KINABALU: The ever increasing amount of solid waste is becoming a serious issue challenging urban planners in fast growing Kota Kinabalu.
Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai said that it is not easy to change the mindset of people, especially on waste management.
“We have tried, and failed. But we will continue our sustainability plans and hopefully it will bring positive outcomes,” he said.
Yeo was referring to the MKK Project, a three-year project pertaining to domestic waste segregation and collection initiated by the Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) and the Conference of Earth Environment from Akita (CEEA), technically supported by Akita City of Japan and financially supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
M- KK stands for MottainaiKota Kinabalu. Mottainai is a Japanese term conveying a sense of regret concerning waste.
The project, which started in December 2015 and is expected to end this year, aims to promote segregation and collection of domestic waste in the city centre.
According to the co-chairman of the project, Dr Yoshio Aizawa, the three main objectives of MKK are: to prepare guidelines for domestic waste segregation and collection; to improve capacities of Kota Kinabalu in domestic waste segregation and collection; and to improve awareness of the residents for waste segregation in pilot areas.
“More than 20 task force meetings were held over the past three years, and we also had other activities, such as distribution of leaflets and workshop meeting for enlightenment purposes, visit of residents to Kayu Madang landfill, waste composition survey, baseline survey on awareness for waste segregation and also study visits to Akita City.
“On the guideline preparation, it is based on experiences in the pilot areas in reference to experience of Akita City,” he said, during his brief presentation at the closing ceremony of the project, yesterday.
Akita City Executive Director, Department of Environment, Shima Mitsugi, who was at the event, said, the closing ceremony of the M-KK Project means it is the beginning of the actual project.
He admitted that it may take a long time and needed a lot of cost and continuous effort to achieve the vision.
“We would be glad if Kota Kinabalu will lead the other cities in Malaysia as an environmental advanced city,” he said.
Shima explained that about four decades ago, during the period of high economic growth, Japan faced serious problems such as waste increase, water pollution, air pollution and also pollutionrelated diseases.
But over a long time, the citizens, private sectors and governmental organizations engaged to solve the problem through trial and error, and now, he said, their living environment is clearly improved.
“I heard Kota Kinabalu city is in economic growth right now and waste management is becoming a bigger issue. I hope the citizens, private sectors and administration of City Hall will work together on the waste management through the guideline and experience of this project.
“Akita City succeeded in reduction of waste through cooperation between citizens, private sectors and administration of the city by activities of recycling, waste segregation, compositing and avoiding use of disposable containers,” he said.
Also present yesterday was Board Chairman of CEEA, Dr Akifumi Makita. The event was officiated by the assistant minister in the Chief Minister’s Department, Arifin Asgali, who is the minister looking after DBKK.
Arifin applauded the project and hoped that there will be holistic efforts from the government on the issue such as enforcing regulations and effective implementation.
He brought the event to an end by witnessing the handing over of Guidelines on Household Waste Segregation and Collection in Kota Kinabalu, which was generated by those involved in the project.