APLA in cooperation with FELCOS UMBRIA conducted the first meeting of the "L.A.N.D" project with the aim of introducing the target local authorities to the project and its goals, work methodology, the target communities, and interventions in addition to project activities and outcomes.
The meeting took place at APLA's HQ in Ramallah, attended by its President, Eng. Musa Hadid; and the Mayors of Beit Liqia, Arij Assi; Ni'lin, Yousef Al-Khawajah; and Huwwarah, Mo'een Dmeidi; Director of Beita Municipality, Awad Mefleh; Director of the Engineering Department – Beita Municipality, Nabil Sadeq; APLA's Executive Director, Eng. Abdallah Anati; and the representative of the Italian partners, Morino Caporalini, as well as APLA's executive team.
APLA's President, Eng. Hadid explained the L.A.N.D seeks to provide a model based on exchanging skills and knowledge related to developing the capacities of local authorities in facing several issues, especially the environmental issues. He also invited the target local authorities to make all necessary efforts to provide this model based on cooperation among local authorities in order to overcome the geographical and political challenges standing against devising comprehensive and sustainable development strategies and policies.
Project Coordinator on behalf of FELCOS UMBRIA, Morino Caporalini elaborated that the main goal of the project is to enhance the exchange of experiences and expertise among Palestinian local authorities and their counterparts in Umbria-Italy, which establishes for institutional cooperation between them.
APLA's Executive Director, Eng. Anati, on other hand, presented the project to target local authorities, explaining that the project seeks mainly to enhance the capacities of Palestinian local authorities for planning and management within the frame of joint environmental services. The aim is to decrease wastes, revive green areas, support circular economy initiatives on one hand, and enhance the means of awareness and participation for local communities in support of local and national strategies for environmental sustainability on the other hand.
Eng. Anati pointed out that a great part of the project work will target schools, in particular with the aim of raising citizens' awareness, especially the Youth, on environmental issues, increasing their participation in that field and in initiatives promoted for by local authorities in the target areas. Such is achieved through organizing training courses for raising the awareness of teachers and students on environmental issues, organizing and launching some initiatives led by the youth in their areas.
It is worth mentioning that APLA is implementing "L.A.N.D" project, funded by AICS, in cooperation with ANCI UMBRIA, ANCI Trasimeno, FELCOS UMBRIA, Trasimeno Servizi Ambientali, Unione dei Comuni Terre dell'Olio e del Sagrantino, Assisi Municipality, Autorità Igienico-sanitaria dell'Umbria.
