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There comes in UNDP’s added value in crisis response and resilience. In fact, infrastructure projects, regardless of the scale, are one of the biggest items in municipalities’ budgets. Facilities, equipment, vehicles, transfer stations, collectors, wastewater treatment plants; to serve provinces and their people. All are crucial for a healthy, sustainable and prosperous society, which is already thriving to cope with its own development challenges, together with millions of displaced people. And these investments are costly.
For example, only through solid waste transfer stations, UNDP both increases the city’s compliance with EU standards, providing more environmental protection and tries to ease the financial burden on municipalities caused by the sudden population growth.
Underlining that municipalities, whose resources and capacities are already limited, are struggling to tackle problems, including health and environmental issues such as waste (garbage, solid waste, wastewater, etc.) generation and management, which come together with population growth, Mr. Sukhrob Khojimatov, UNDP Turkey Deputy Resident Representative, who was on the ground zero with his team, highlighted financial dimension of the situation: “The total additional waste generated in the Southeast Region is more than 1 million tons per year and the annual cost of only transporting solid waste exceeds 25 million USD. According to surveys, municipalities, which in the Southeast of Turkey and in the provinces hosting refugees as many as 20 percent of their population, will need an additional 215 million USD annually in order to reach the capacity to meet the growing demand for services”.
Numbers do matter. Especially when it comes from a senior development professional. This sheds light on the financial burden and infrastructure investment perspective. Ms. Benmayor’s article complements Mr. Khojimatov’s words; “As you see, the gap is large.”