Irbid Municipality in Jordan, presented by Mayor Nabil Kofahi and the Solid Waste Management staff, extended a warm welcome to Mayor Mohammad Khalil and Dr Fatima from Akkar al Atika Municipality in Lebanon. The purpose of the visit was to facilitate knowledge exchange and foster collaboration in the solid waste management field as part of Med4Waste Mentoring scheme activities, which aims to promote effective waste management practices by forging partnerships among Mediterranean cities.

The visit kicked off with a productive meeting at Irbid Municipality, during which Dr Fatima provided an insightful overview of Akkar Municipality’s current status regarding solid waste management, including international support projects. Following this, Engineer Reham Al-Jammal, from Irbid Municipality staff, presented an in-depth analysis of the municipality’s solid waste management infrastructure and its ongoing efforts in the Med-InA project. The Med-InA project focused on enhancing waste management systems and promoting environmental sustainability in the region.

A significant highlight of the visit was a high-level meeting between Mayor Mohammad Khalil of Akkar and Mayor Nabil Kofahi of Irbid. The mayors engaged in fruitful discussions regarding the challenges faced by Akkar in delivering services with limited governmental funds and Irbid’s strategies for adapting to lower-than-cost-recovery waste fees. The conversation also revolved around the waste fee collection systems implemented by both municipalities. Irbid’s fee is collected through the electricity bill and professional licenses, while Akkar currently relies on voluntary payments by residents to bridge the substantial gap between government funding and the cost of waste management.