Global Arab Network | EU helps develop, revitalise and preserve Damascus

Translate this article to your language:

GANPublications

e-Publications

Add Site to Favorites

Add Page to Favorites

Make Homepage

Share This Page

RSS Feed

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| |

EU helps develop, revitalise and preserve Damascus

Global Arab Network - - Maha Karim

Tuesday, 08 September 2009 10:36

The aim and work of the EU-funded project "Modernisation of Municipal Administration" implemented in the Syrian capital Damascus was the focus of the latest Eurojar featured in the Lebanese L’Orient Le Jour.

The project, funded with €18 million from the European Commission and €2.5 million from the Syrian State, aims at improving the living environment of residents, developing and revitalising neighbourhoods, and especially preserving and rehabilitating the old city. The capital has seen its population multiply by 10 in less than 50 years and has therefore been facing a growth crisis that threatens its urban balance.

The feature says the city faces problems in areas like water resources management undermined by a continuing decline in rainfall, pollution, management of urban expansion and planning and preservation and restoration of architectural heritage, which the EU-funded project aims to tackle. Its first task is the reform of the whole system of management of local administrations established in 1971 for only 6.5 million inhabitants and which are dealing now with triple that population.

The programme covers five other cities: Tartus, Latakia, Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor and Homs. One of the key measures undertaken by the project is the establishment of a "single window" within municipalities in order to simplify the administrative procedures and increase efficiency of services to citizens. Other main aspects include large-scale rehabilitation of informal neighbourhoods of the city, enhancement of Damascus’ heritage and the restoration of al-Amir Abd-el-Kader’s residence where the project’s team is staying and which will be transformed into a centre of strategic studies for sustainable development. By Maha Karim

Global Arab Network

Add comment

The opinions of the authors in articles published are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Global Arab Network
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Published comments are the opinions of private individuals and do not reflect the views of Global Arab Network