PREPARED BY RODOLPHE GHOSSOUB Good Governance For Enhanced Post-War Reconstruction In South Lebanon Setting-up Three Local Urban Observatories in the Cazas of Tyre, Jabal Aamel and Bint-Jbeil

Funding sources: Dutch Government Cyprus Government Finnish Government Partners: Union of Municipalities of Tyre, Bint Jbeil and Jabal Amel The American University of Beirut (AUB) Beit Bil Jnub Organization Project Duration: September 2007 – December 2009 PROJECT OVERVIEW

GEOGRAPHIC OUTREACH: 21 villages (7 villages within each Union of Municipalities ) TyreJabal AmelBintJbeil 1. Qlaileh 2. Zibqeen 3. Teir Harfa 4. Shiheen 5. Jobbein 6. Jbal el Botom 7. Yarin 1. Markaba 2. Taibeh 3. Adchit el Qouseir 4. Qantara 5. Rob Tlatin 6. Qabrikha 7. Deir Seryan 1. Aitaroun 2. Maroun el Ras 3. Ainatha 4. Bara’chit 5. Tiri 6. Rchaf 7. Kounin

Middle East Lebanon Tyre Bint Jbeil Jabal Aamel Project Outreach

PROJECT MAIN ACTIVITIES 1.Provide, through the set up of three Regional Technical Offices, engineering assistance to around 4,000 affected families whose houses were totally destroyed during the July 2006 War. 2. Build the capacity of the three Unions of Municipalities to improve service delivery. - Community Projects - Technical Dossiers - Training Program 3. Establish three Local Urban Observatories (LUO) as a planning tool to enhance sustainable development of human settlements. - Regional Urban Sector Profiles (RUSPs)

LOCAL URBAN OBSERVATORY DEFINITION An urban observatory is a: Local network of stakeholders Data and information resources produced by local network focal point for urban monitoring aiming for SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Other Offices Universities DAG CAS NGOs Ministries Local Urban Observatory

LUOs OBJECTIVES The project seeks to achieve three main objectives: Objective One: To strengthen the capacity of the Union of Municipalities (UOMs) to produce high quality, timely, city disaggregated data, using standardized methods, classifications and definitions which promote comparability, and foster their dissemination in support of local policy and monitoring processes. Objective Two: To foster networking and partnerships between national (such as DAG, CAS, DGU, CDR, OMSAR …) and local stakeholders. Objective Three: To lay the proper ground for the sustainability and the institutionalization of the observatory.

Crisis (war 2006) Lack of data Designation of 3 cazas (7 severely damaged villages in each ) Creation of 3 RTOs in every caza Designation of 3 GIS experts (trained & equipped) Initiation of Activities 3 LUOs are Born ADAPTATION TO THE SOUTH CONTEXT Designation of stakeholders (DAG CAS and many others)

MoU 3 GIS Experts were nominated; 21 local volunteers in the villages were called to assist in the implementation of the project; Training and equipment were provided to the Experts; Workshops were carried out with the Heads of the Unions to select the needed indicators; Networking with main stakeholders (local and national level); Visit from our international consultant; Visits to the municipality mayors are still undertaken; Continuous training and technical assistance is provided; Participation in major events related to LUOs. UOMs Sour, Bint Jbeil, Marjaayoun UN HABITAT HOW WAS IT DESSIMINATED

ACHIEVMENTS & OUTPUTS LUOs Offices were equipped (office furniture and hardwares); Softwares (Esri Licenses, Map Source etc) and field equipments (Total Staion GPSs) were provided; Participation in training (GPS, GIS, Total Station)`and events (GIS Day, Field visit to LUOs of Tripoli and Sin el Fil); Collaboration with the stakeholders (DAG, CAS, DGU, CDR, OMSAR ); Purchase of data from private firms (KA, MAPS); Data collection from major stakeholders DAG, CAS, DGU, CDR, OMSAR and others; Field work for the correction of the Topo maps; Data collection from the municipalities was initiated; Data entry.

PROGRESS WORK

Reluctance of the Unions to host the Observatories since the South presents a critical situation (Jabal Aamel caza); Difficulty for setting the indicators with the Unions; Lack of GIS expertise in the South (the GIS experts were supposed to have 3 years of experience) resulting in time consuming to train the experts and to provide them technical support; Internal conflict within each Union and RTO; Lack of cash flow for the experts and the Local Volunteers (LV) resulting in lack of motivation; 21 municipalities represent an extensive area to monitor; MAIN OBSTACLES

IMPACTS ACHIEVED Head of the UoMs approved the LUOs and are convinced of their positive impacts; The mayors gained knowledge about the LUOs; GIS Experts have full knowledge of the GIS technology and the LUOs; The GIS Experts are continuously informed with the latest GIS activities undertaken by the software suppliers (KA); The LV developed their Computer skills and knowledge of the LUOs; Networking the heads of the UoMs with the army was initiated; Willingness of including all the municipalities of the Unions to the LUOs (Sour caza); The LUOs are implemented at the UoMs and operational (data entry, map production etc)

THE REMAINING NEEDS Establish official Networks with the DAG, CAS, DGU, CDR, OMSAR and others;; Fostering exchange of experience between unions or municipalities; Institutionalization of the LUOs within UoMs; Search for the remaining sources of data; Publication of the collected data through reports and Internet.

UN HABITAT expands its experience to neighboring countries UN HABITAT plays a central role in the creation monitoring and follow- ups of the LUOs in Lebanon Institutionalization of the LUOs (Sin el Fil an already existing LUO, Bint Jbeil, Sour, and Jabal Aamel) Local Urban Observatory for the Sour Caza (Potential area); Web publishing of the LUOs Implementation of LUOs in new cities & unions with organized data (ex: Aajaltoun, Jounieh) Local Urban Observatory for Beirut Municipality National Urban Observatory for Lebanon