> Regional Development

> Regional Development

> Regional Development The importance of local development and the role of local governance in making public institutions more effective in meeting citizens needs are now widely accepted and largely recognised. Local governance aims to ensure that local authorities address issues more effectively at the local and municipal levels. Municipalities and their councils play an important role in regional and local developments achieving better goals through accountability and responsiveness to the needs and rights of their constituents. It is within this context that the European Union actively supports local authorities by strengthening their ability to carry out their public service tasks, as well as help implement projects successfully. Programmes: EU Support to the Development of North Lebanon Budget 18 000 000 Date of project 2009-2015 Implementing partner Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), Economic and social Fund for Development (EFSD) Municipalities, Unions of municipalities, communities, farmers, cooperatives in Akkar, Dannye and Hermel North Lebanon

This programme aims at opening up the region by supporting agricultural development. This is done through investing in rural infrastructure (agricultural roads and irrigation) and supporting local development activities (grants to clusters of local authorities) after a participative process. Support to Municipal Finance Programme Budget 20 000 000 Date of project 2012-2017 Implementing partner Ministry of Interior, Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), Economic and social Fund for Development (EFSD) Municipalities and Union of municipalities in the North and in Bekaa This programme enhances the municipalities ability to design and implement infrastructure projects for water supply, sanitation and solid waste disposal. Additionally, it strengthens the resilience of Syrian refugee communities and Lebanese host communities by upgrading municipal services especially with regard to Solid Waste Management. The Technical Assistance component of the project ( 2.9 million) will provide institutional support to the Lebanese Administration to enhance the capacities at the municipalities level. It will specifically accompany the reform process in the area of municipal financing by increasing the management and technical capacities both at central and local levels while at the same time providing support to selected Unions of Municipalities in preparing local development plans.

> Regional Development Improvement of Local Governance in Lebanon Budget 12 000 000 Date of project 2007-2014 Implementing partner The Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform (OMSAR) 15 Unions of Municipalities 200 municipalities The LOGO Project (2 phases) aims at supporting the local development of 12 to 15 municipality clusters throughout the Lebanese territory. Overall, LOGO involves over 200 municipalities and non-municipal villages. The project is designed to ensure a dynamic reconstruction of the Lebanese economic and social local layers, contribute to the reinforcement of local democracy and improve the municipalities management methods. The participatory approach followed and the training provided has allowed selected local authorities to define their needs in a collective manner. This has materialised into the drafting of Simplified Development Plans and the creation of Local Development Offices. The preparation of local development strategies and projects has also contributed to empowering municipalities and strengthen their capacities. These strategies have materialised by the selection of 12 local development projects that have been implemented in the selected clusters leading to tangible results (in tourism and agricultural structures, and rehabilitation of historical centres) for local communities. Upgrading Solid Waste Management Capacities in Lebanon Budget 14 000 000 (2014-2020) 15 000 000 (2015-2021) Date of project 2014-2021 Implementing partner The Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform (OMSAR) Municipalities, Unions of municipalities and communities affected by the influx of Syrian refugees

These programmes aim at improving the overall efficiency and effectiveness of Solid Waste Management (SWM) in areas of Lebanon most affected by the influx of Syrian refugees. The action will directly contribute to address the medium and longer term needs of the Lebanese communities in areas with high Syrian refugees concentrations for increased and improved waste disposal services, by (i) building and upgrading SWM infrastructure and equipment at local level and (ii) enhancing the overall management capacity of local administrations in the Solid Waste Management sector. Recovery of Local Economies in Lebanon Budget 7 000 000 Date of project 2014-2021 Implementing partner Economic and Social Fund for Development (EFSD) Municipalities, Unions of municipalities and communities affected by the influx of Syrian refugees This project aims to alleviate the medium and longer-term needs of host communities in areas in Lebanon with high Syrian refugee concentrations. The overall objective of this project focuses on recovering local economies in Lebanese communities particularly affected by the influx of refugees, specifically in the agricultural sector (by far the most important sector to provide livelihood and job opportunities in these hosting areas). The specific objective of this project is to improve the productivity of small-scale sustainable agriculture. Local Authorities Budget 1 900 000 Financing instrument NSA-LA Date of project 2010-2015 Implementing partner Lebanese Local authorities Municipalities, Unions of municipalities and communities

> Regional Development The global objective of this Call for Proposals is to support actions aimed at promoting an inclusive and empowered society in Lebanon in the context of sustainable development, including the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The specific objective of these Calls for Proposals is to support actions submitted by local authorities or associations of local authorities, with a view to encourage their participation in defining and implementing sustainable development strategies leading to inclusive growth at the municipal level in Lebanon. Currently, fifteen grants contracts are being implemented by local authorities. United Kingdom Lebanon Municipal Services Programme Budget 5 200 000 Financing instrument Grant Date of project April 2014 March 2015 Implementing partner UNDP 20 Municipalities in Wadi Khaled, Central Bekaa and Nabatieh Budget 9 000 000 Financing instrument Grant Date of project April 2015 March 2016 Implementing partner UNDP Over 40 Municipalities The Lebanon Municipal Service Programme is supporting vulnerable Lebanese host communities to contain the consequences and manage the risks associated with regional overspill of Syrian refugees. The UK provided 5.2 million to UNDP in 2014-2015 and 9 million in 2015-2016 to support municipalities in the most vulnerable areas in Lebanon to provide basic services to communities hosting Syrian refugees. As a result of DFID funding to The Lebanon Municipal Service Programme, the municipalities most affected by the influx of Syrian refugees are now able to provide additional municipal services (such as waste collection, sewerage networks, street lighting, and water, playgrounds and public spaces and livelihoods opportunities).