12 municipalities benefited from a set of one-to-one sessions with the experts of the training module between June and July. The mentoring finished and these are some of the main challenges addressed by Mediterranean participant cities.

MedCities organised between March and July 2021 a Capacity Building Cycle for its members on waste management, energy efficiency, mobility and environment. The cycle was implemented in two phases:

1. 12 online training sessions on the 4 topics addressed to all MedCities members
2. Mentoring process on the 4 thematic areas for 12 awarded municipalities

Online Training modules

During March and April a series of online tailored training modules were organised based on the needs of MedCities members, involving more than one hundred city employees and policymakers.

For each thematic area a set of three online sessions were organised as follow:

1. General overview and status of the topic in the Mediterranean area, main challenges and opportunities of action and financing.
2. Learning from Mediterranean successful cases studies.
3. Case-scenario interactive session in smaller groups.

You can find all the online training sessions available at MedCities’ Youtube channel.

Mentoring process

12 municipalities benefited from a set of one-to-one sessions with the experts of the training module between June and July. During three online sessions, municipalities, guided by the experts, selected a problematic that they would like to tackle and worked on possible innovative and realistic measures to accomplish this objective. At the end of this mentoring process, municipalities produced a concept note that will serve both as a roadmap for the municipality or as a small project to be developed if funding opportunities become available.

Energy efficiency

Djerba Midoun (TUN)

Support in the design and development of the municipality’s Sustainable Energy Action Plan 2030 (PAED), paying particular attention to the objective of producing 50% of the energy from renewable sources by 2030. The action plan discussed includes measures like the application of energy efficiency measures at municipal buildings via the installation of photovoltaic and solar plants for self-production and the establishment of electric pubic transport options.

Gabes (TUN)

Support in the update of the municipality’s Energy Efficiency projects, including:

• Citizens’ awareness campaign on the use of renewable energies
• Installation of photovoltaic panels in municipal buildings
• Change of public lightning: from HPL to LED lights

Greater Irbid Municipality (JO)

Support in the design and development of the « Citizen’s Energy Engagement Project » which aims to raise awareness and accelerate the growth of a sustainable energy community by developing an inclusive set of actions in the energy, transport, water and waste management fields. Some of the measures highlighted include the dissemination of simple energy-saving measures that can be applicable by all citizens, encourage the use of public transport, bicycle use and car sharing, and promote a responsible and rationalized use of water and waste consumption. The participatory process in the preparation of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area’s Urbanistic Plan and the establishment of Energy Advisory points were used as a good practice inspiration. 

Mobility

Sfax (TUN)

Support in the implementation of improvements in the traffic flow at the roundabouts on Avenue Majida Boulila, now managed by police agents, including installing smart traffic lights at five intersections, and in the design of introducing new public bus and tramlines options.

Tataouine (TUN)

Support in the establishment of a pedestrian zone in the city centre’s commercial area, combined with the installation of a car parking including smart solutions in order to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. Other measures envisaged include placing a bike parking and the installation of traffic lights at major intersections.

Monastir (TUN)

Support in the design and development of implementing a pedestrian zone in the city’s medina. The plan will encompass the installation of car park outside the medina’s walls, including spaces for bikes, and the development of green spaces along pedestrian paths. Some other future measures are to develop cycle paths, connecting the current one on the coast to a new one downtown, and an electric bus line around the city centre.

Solid Waste Management

Tétouan (MA)

Support in the design of a training module on waste management for new elected officials of the municipality, which should consist in several workshops/training sessions and the elaboration of a guide based on the principles of green and circular economy. Special attention should be placed to socio-economic opportunities that implies introducing new recycling measures, for instance in the creation of new employment opportunities. A detailed training plan for the workshops was developed, highlighting key for success and main threats, an estimation of resources required, an approximate timeline for its implementation and monitoring indicators to assess its impact.

Zarqa (JO)

Support in the development of an electronic system to document and calculate the costs related to solid waste management, including information related to cleaning operations such as collection and transportation. Some of the measures include an update of the accounting system and the fee payers database and exploring the implementation of a new fee for the commercial and industrial sector.

Zgharta-Ehden (LBN)

Support in the design of three main actions:

• Municipal action and ordinance aiming to establish circularity, reduce waste and improve sorting at the source;
• Establish/update feasibility studies for organic and green waste transformation;
• Technical and environmental recommendations on the construction of a sound waste management facility and landfill site selection.

Environmental Management

Nabeul (TUN)

Support in the development of flood control measures, like for instance land reforestation, creation of green spaces, protection of local biodiversity (oranges trees) and/or collection of rainwater for agricultural and green spaces irrigation.

Zarqa (JO)

Support in the development of measures to reduce air pollution and CO2 emissions as well as to cope with the impacts of climate change affecting the area and rehabilitation of the Zarqa river, like for instance establishing an urban centre for a forestation (home farming) and providing citizens with free seeds and agricultural guidance by a specialized engineer.

Zgharta-Ehden (LBN)

Support in the design of measures to reconquer water resources quality and quantity and re-establish watercourses as territorial attractions, like optimizing the performance of the 2 existing Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) in a way to reduce reliance on electrical power by building reed bed filters, encourage re-use of treated water and alleviate pressure on the downstream eco- and agritourism projects.