Women in Europe for a Common Future and Bulgarian NGO "Earth Forever" (GWP partner) organized the roundtable.
The event was focused on waste water treatment technologies for human settlements under 10,000 people where actually a large portion of Bulgarian and Romanian population lives.
The participants also discussed implementation of European wastewater directives in Romania and Bulgaria. Good practices were presented from other countries as Germany, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.
"We need to demonstrate these low-cost systems", said Dr. Galia Bardarska of GWP Bulgaria, "too many too expensive waste water treatment plants are being build. People here cannot afford to pay the same fees for waste water as in other European countries. Citizens need to be involved in the decision making, and know what technology choices will mean for future consumer charges".
Dr. Popescu presented GWP CEE work on sustainable sanitation that could be beneficial for rural communities throughout the region.
Open Waste Water Planning process, recommended by Swedish sustainable sanitation experts, helps local decision makers and stakeholders select the best waste water treatment option that suits the best their local urban, natural and social conditions.
The final declaration recommends use of more natural and less expensive ways of sanitation infrastructure and a need for a pilot natural wetland waste treatment plant in Bulgaria and Romania respectively.
For more information, Dr. Popescu, e-mail: lipopesc@gmail.com and Dr. Bardarska e-mail: bwp@dir.bg