Signing in Damascus
Japan and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) signed an agreement on 30 July 2026 to fund an integrated urban reconstruction and solid-waste management project in the city of Homs. The signing took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in Damascus, under the sponsorship of its International Cooperation Administration.
The agreement was signed by the Japanese chargé d'affaires in Damascus, Akihiro Tsuji, and the regional programs director at UN-Habitat, Patrick Kanagasingham. The project carries a budget of $9.5 million (USD).
Rebuilding the City Center
The project aims to support Homs's integrated urban recovery by rehabilitating the old Clock Square and restoring its role as an economic and social center. Work also covers the reorganization and rehabilitation of the markets surrounding the square, an effort aimed at reviving commercial activity in the adjoining district.
Additional components include strengthening the municipality's capacity to manage communications and services, and supplying the city with equipment and machinery for collecting, transporting, and maintaining its waste fleet.
A Semi-Aerobic Landfill
The plan rehabilitates Homs's main landfill using the Japanese Fukuoka method, an engineering technique for managing solid-waste sites through a semi-aerobic design. A network of ventilation pipes embedded in the landfill increases airflow and speeds the biological breakdown of waste.
The approach is intended to reduce emissions, limit contamination of groundwater and the surrounding environment, and extend the landfill's operational life by at least three years.
Diplomatic Groundwork
The signing followed a meeting on 29 July 2026 between the director of Afro-Asian and Oceania affairs at the Foreign Ministry, Nada al-Aswad, and the Japanese chargé d'affaires, during which the two sides discussed matters of common interest and recent regional and international developments.
Attending the signing were the deputy minister of local administration and environment for environmental affairs, Youssef Sharaf, and the head of the UN cooperation division at the International Cooperation Administration, Mohammad Bathish.