Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City to Conduct Second-Year KOICA Global Training Program, Expanding Busan’s Resource Circulation Model Globally

내용

Busan Metropolitan City, headed by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, and the Busan Global City Foundation announced that they will conduct the second-year training program for “Capacity Building for Solid Waste Management in the Metropolitan Area of Paraguay (2025–2027),” a Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Global Training Program, for two weeks from today, Aug. 9, through Aug. 22.

The program is being implemented after Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Global City Foundation were selected through an open call for KOICA Global Training Programs. The three-year project, running from 2025 to 2027 with a total budget of approximately KRW 800 million, is fully funded by the national government.

The KOICA Global Training Program shares Korea’s development experience and expertise with developing countries to support the development of human resources and institutional systems needed for economic and social advancement.

Projects proposed by public institutions, research institutes, universities and other organizations are selected through a review process, with the full project cost provided for selected programs.

Building on the first-year program, which focused on strengthening policy development capabilities among senior policymakers, this year’s training advances to a more practical stage. It provides field-oriented training for 15 key practitioners, including government officials, experts and business representatives working in Paraguay’s waste management sector.

Participants will visit major resource circulation facilities operated by the Busan Environmental Corporation, including the Saenggok Landfill and Haeundae Office, to observe the entire waste management process firsthand, from generation and collection to transportation, treatment and resource recovery. They will also learn about circular economy policies and technologies, including artificial intelligence-based waste management, the use of waste data, carbon credits and upcycling.

Busan Metropolitan City will also share its circular economy policies and public-private cooperation models and support participants in developing customized Action Plans for their country, laying the groundwork for the training to lead to practical projects in Paraguay.

The training program will begin with an opening ceremony and presentations on current conditions, followed by expert lectures, field visits, workshops, discussions and hands-on activities.

At the end of the program, participants will present customized Action Plans based on what they have learned, and the plans will be shared at the 2nd Circular Economy ODA Busan Forum.

The 2nd Circular Economy ODA Busan Forum has been held since last year to share Busan’s circular economy policies and the outcomes of KOICA Global Training Programs, promote policy exchanges with partner countries, and establish a foundation for identifying follow-up Official Development Assistance projects.

Through this training program, Busan Metropolitan City expects to share its resource circulation policies and best practices with the international community, contribute to establishing a sustainable waste management system in Paraguay, and expand bilateral cooperation in the environmental sector.

Hong Kyung-ae, Head of the Global Exchange Division at the Busan Global City Foundation, said, “The second-year training program will strengthen Paraguay’s capacity for sustainable waste management through a practice-oriented program that combines policy education with field training. We will also actively support efforts to ensure that Busan’s outstanding resource circulation policies and technologies lead to follow-up cooperation projects.”

Sim Jae-min, Assistant Mayor of Environment and Water Policy Office at Busan Metropolitan City, said, “This training program is a leading example of international cooperation in which various local institutions and companies, including the Busan Environmental Corporation, work together to share Busan’s circular economy policies and hands-on operational experience with the international community. We will continue to expand international cooperation in the environmental sector based on Busan’s outstanding resource circulation policies and technologies.”