The participants discussed areas of cooperation and presented their resources and opportunities to the potential partners. Olena Tertyshna, Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast, told more about the initiative.
“The goal of this U-LEAD initiative is to help representatives of the Ukrainian and Spanish self-governments establish communication and create teams that would be responsible for interaction and concluding agreements. At each stage, the Programme experts help municipalities draft proposals and develop practical measures,” she said.
Serhii Reznyk, Head of the Novomoskovsk municipality, spoke about its potential and existing initiatives. Despite the war, its economy is still running, with the production of machinery and consumer goods, chemical industry, metallurgy, electric power, engineering, asphalt plants and agro-processing businesses at the forefront.
“Due to the full-scale invasion, we currently are working seven days a week, our children cannot go to school due to the threat of shelling and air strikes, businesses are introducing emergency measures. People from the frontline areas are constantly coming to us, with about 6,000 displaced people currently registered in the municipality. But despite the difficulties, we continue to plan our development. And the cornerstone of our plans is the water supply of our region,” said Mr Reznyk.
The Novomoskovsk municipality team presented initiatives that will help implement the best practices of its Spanish counterparts regarding the water supply. It is about alternative sources of water supply, including the creation of an extensive network of pump stations in the neighbourhoods with high-rise buildings in case of damage to critical infrastructure. Due to constant shelling and the risk of destruction, the utility company that provides the water supply needs effective solutions for the installation of generators. The experience of colleagues and their support will also be valuable here.
Another two projects discussed during the meeting involve the reconstruction of the water main and the introduction of modern methods of decontamination of drinking water in line with the EU standards.
“Studying and using the Spanish experience in the development of water networks can help us in finding the most effective solutions for high-quality water supply in our municipality,” said Mr Reznyk.
The participants of the meeting agreed on the next steps of cooperation, including the signing of a partnership agreement. They also spoke about the importance of supporting Ukrainian municipalities by international programmes and partners in the fight against the Russian aggressor.