Cooperation in the MENA network picks up speed
City of Hazmieh is leading and backing up municipal peers in development. Energy efficiency practices are gaining ground in the network.
A proposal for knowledge-exchange initiative between the municipalities of Abasan Al-Kabira, Palestine, and Hazmieh, Lebanon, was submitted to the Arab Land Initiative by the UN-Habitat. According to the proposal, Hazmieh will support Abasan in all joint actions that may foster mutual improvement in the domains that fall within their competencies particularly with regards to youth participation in the decision-making process and the integration of GIS in municipal administration processes. The representatives of the municipalities of Abasan and Hazmieh had their first encounter as part of the Connective Cities Network.
Within the framework of municipal peer learning and knowledge-transfer and in coordination with ESFD, Hazmieh municipality and Al-Buhaira union of municipalities have shared their best practices during a peer learning visit at Hazmieh premises on March 18, 2021. During the study visit, Hazmieh’s advanced GIS dashboard was presented which supports planning, monitoring and executing municipal operations. The existing GIS dashboard has contributed to optimising local governance in various sectors including finance, economy, investments, and emergency response. In line with Connective Cities goal, Hazmieh municipality continues to be a champion of promoting knowledge-exchange among the network members thus reinforcing the role of municipalities as a main driver of positive change at the local level.
