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ONGOING
OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES
| Localising
Agenda 21 in Essaouiraа |
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Total cost
$840,000
Partners
Municipal Council of Essaouira
Ministry of Housing, Urban Development
and Environment
ENDA/Maghreb
Various local associations and community
based organisations
Government of Belgium, Belgian Administration
for Development Co-operation
Post Graduate Centre for Human Settlements,
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
(UN-Habitat)а
Background and objectives
Essaouira, Morocco, is a historic coastal
town located between the ocean and a dune forest. The city is isolated
from the main communication networks of the country.а As the previous
economic base of fisheries is in crisis, urban employment is limited toа
tourism and handicraft production.а This has had severe repercussions
on the quality of life and the environment.а The cultural heritage
has suffered degradation and continued expansion of the city inland is
threatening its fragile ecosystem and the very survival of the town.
Activities
To promote good urban governance, the
programme strategy emphasises the need for a shared vision for the future
development of the city.а In parallel, urgent problems are addressed
through action planning and environmental conflict resolution.а This
process is underpinned by a continuous, broad-based consultation process.а
Capacity-building efforts focus on setting priorities for action, targeted
human resources development, institutional strengthening, development and
adaptation of tools, encouraging partnerships, mobilization of resources,
and promoting exchange between cities facing similar problems.
Results
The programme has activated consultation
around the new master plan for Essaouira and played a catalytic role in
the creation of an urban action planning centre.а This centre has
developed action plans, addressing issues such as the protection of the
collapsing sea retaining wall and dilapidated city gates, a revitalisation
plan for the Mellah area and development of an urban park as a buffer zone
between housing estates and a dune forest. Several components of these
plans have been implemented, while other more capital-intensive parts are
now being redesigned into feasible projects.а Meanwhile, results are
being sustained through the promotion of collaboration between the municipal
council and neighbourhood groups and through the strengthening of the information,
dissemination and training functions of the centre.
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| Poverty
Alleviation Pilot Programme in the Urban and Peri-urban Areas in Morocco |
Total cost
$2,000,000а
Partners
Ministry of Employment and Social Affairsа
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)а
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
(UN-Habitat)а
Background and objectives
The objective of this programme is to
test and validate new approaches to local development based on partnerships
involving local authorities, elected officials, municipal technical staff
and civil society.а The programme is being implemented in three selected
pilot sites in three large urban agglomerations in the kingdom.а The
programme aims at developing and strengthening national capacities, particularly
at the local level, to elaborate and implement integrated action plans
for alleviating urban and peri-urban poverty.а
Activities
To attain these objectives the programme
will identify local actors involved in the reduction of urban poverty,
create a committee of partnerships in each location and development and
implementation of specific operational actions to tackle poverty alleviation.а
Planning and organizing consultations, the formulation of action plans,
their implementation through local partnerships and organization of funding
and resource mobilization meetings are among the activities designed to
illustrate how poverty alleviation activities could be realized.а
The capacities of local actors will be built through parallel training
so as to enhance their roles in dealing with poverty alleviation issues.а
Various approaches will be designed to integrate vulnerable groups; including
awareness-building campaigns and specifically designed programmes.а
Results
The three sites selected to illustrate
poverty alleviation approaches are Tangier, Marrakech and Casablanca.а
During 1998, a consultation was convened in each city involving a large
participation of various actors in the poverty reduction scene, including
a large number of local NGOs and members of the civil society.а These
consultations resulted in the identification of priorities and the development
of action plans.а Implementation of the action plans is under way.а
Priority axes of intervention include: income generation; improvement of
housing and access to basic services; and, protection of vulnerable groups
and their integration in society.а The 2000 consultation for mid-term
review conducted in each city demonstrated the positive impact on the strengthening
local capacities for participatory strategic planning, the systematic building
of confidence and partnerships among local actors and the mobilisation
of local, national and international financial resources for extensive
poverty reduction activities.
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| In
country's contact: |
UNDP
Tel.:а
Fax:а
E-mail:
Project Support Unit
Tel.:а
Fax:а
E-mail:а
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