A new project led by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been launched to boost solid waste management in nine Pacific Island nations including Samoa.

The Japanese Technical Cooperation Project for Promotion of Regional Initiative on Solid Waste Management in the Pacific Island Countries Phase 3 (JPRISM3) will span five years starting from 2023. It will be run in partnership with the Apia-based Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and will target nine countries in the Pacific, including Samoa.

Satoru Mimura, who recently assumed the role of Chief Advisor for JPRISM3, will be the lead for this project according to a press release issued last Friday by the JICA office in Apia. As the person in charge of the previous phase of the project, JPRISM2 (2017-2023), he worked on the project at SPREP for two years until the end of March this year. 

However, this time JICA has dispatched Mr. Mimura to Samoa again as the person in charge of the new phase. His return to Samoa signifies the continuation of Japan's commitment to supporting the nation's waste management efforts. 

The involvement of JICA in solid waste management in Samoa dates back to 2000, with substantial contributions to the regular waste collection on Upolu and Savai'i islands as well as improvements to the final disposal sites' operations.

The JICA has also extended its assistance in dealing with waste generated by natural disasters, such as the 2009 tsunami and recurrent cyclones. JICA has also been instrumental in helping the Government of Samoa develop strategies for disaster waste management. Thanks to the combined efforts of the Samoan Government, its people, and the collaboration with JICA over the past two decades, Samoa has emerged as a trailblazer in waste management across the Pacific. Recent achievements in the country have been shared and implemented in other Pacific Island Countries through JPRISM.

The previous phase of JPRISM was a collaboration between Samoa's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) and various entities such as the Samoa Recycling & Waste Management Association (SRWMA), The University of the South Pacific (USP), and Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (SROS). This partnership yielded advancements in waste collection, recycling of resources, and their exports. 

In the new phase, JPRISM3 will take the efforts a step further by focusing on promoting the export and domestic reuse of recycled resources, particularly plastics, and introducing economic methods to ensure sustainable waste management.

Born in 1964, Mr. Mimura joined JICA in 1995 after a successful career in financial institutions following his graduation from university. From 1999 to 2002, he served as Deputy Representative of the JICA Samoa Office. He had served as Director of the Oceania Division and Deputy Director General of the Global Environment Department at the JICA Headquarters. 

Following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, he dedicated nearly eight years to supporting livelihood reconstruction in the areas affected by the nuclear power plant incident. He now proudly serves as a visiting Professor at Fukushima University. Mr. Mimura's passion for Samoa runs deep, as this marks his third time working in the country.