Lebanon

UNDP ART GOLD Lebanon inaugurates two water maintenance centers in Bint Jbeil and Nabatieh

On November 6, 2009, the UNDP ART GOLD Programme (UNDP AGL), in collaboration with the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), hosted the inauguration of two water maintenance centers in Bint Jbeil and Nabatieh.
The inauguration took place in the union of municipalities of Bint Jbeil, in the presence of UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Marta Ruedas, alongside consular at the Italian Embassy Mr. Andreas Ferrarese representing Ambassador of Italy, and the CDR Representative Mrs. Amal Karaki. Representatives from the municipality of Torino also participated in the proceedings alongside the President of the Bint Jbeil union of municipalities Mr. Afif Bazzi.

The establishment of the two water maintenance centers in Nabatieh and Bint Jbeil falls within the 2009-2010 strategic objectives of UNDP ART GOLD Lebanon; in particular the objective to enhance the preservation of the environment through an integrated water management plan.

The implementation of this project aims to improve the water management plan in South Lebanon and strengthen the water infrastructure. This will be achieved through the provision of essential equipment and machinery to resolve the problems in the pipe networks, and the organization of training sessions to the water technicians. All of this will help enhance the water supply and strengthen its quality.

In his speech, Mr. Bazzi highlighted the different projects initiated by the Italian Cooperation Office at Italian Embassy in Lebanon, and stressed the citizens appreciation to these humanitarian, social and educational initiatives that helped recover their socio-economic conditions worsened after the July 2006 war.


The General Director of the water institution in South Lebanon, Mr. Ahmad Nizam, highlighted the outcomes of the training program the engineers and technicians undertook in Italy. He stressed that training should be a continuous process with technical assistance continually provided by the partners, and not only through the procurement of machinery.

CDR Representative Ms. Amal Karaki shed the light on the nationwide projects implemented by the Lebanese Government through the Council for Development & Reconstruction to overcome the problems facing the sector of potable water in Lebanon. Mrs. Karaki noted the different projects initiated by the CDR, focusing on the development of the water facilities in Lebanon in general and south Lebanon in particular.


The representative of the union of municipalities of Torino and the coordination of municipalities for peace (CO.CO.PA) Mr. Cezar Ricardo expressed his gratitude to participate in the inauguration of this center. Mr. Ricardo said that the philosophy of the CO.CO.PA is to work towards peace through 20 ongoing projects implemented worldwide in the framework of the Decentralized Cooperation approach with NGOs, schools and all concerned parties wanting to work for peace. ART GOLD Programme forms one of these projects respecting CO.CO.PA’s philosophy, and we highly appreciate the opportunity to work with different actors in Lebanon and above them UNDP.

Mr. Ferrarese expressed his gratitude to participate in this ceremony falling within the framework of a comprehensive program to manage the infrastructure in South Lebanon.
Mr. Ferrarese noted that the project is an essential to enhance the water maintenance and water management and conservation projects. Furthermore, this project is a good opportunity to enforce the role of the local authorities managing the territories and its resources. He added that this project reflects the partnership and cooperation between the governmental institutions and the local authorities towards the improvement of the social services. Mr. Ferrarese concluded saying that this project enabled Lebanon and Italy to exchange the expertise and the knowhow, and he thanked all who contributed to the realization of this initiative especially S.M.A.T and the union of municipalities of Torino.

UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Marta Ruedas shed the lights on UNDP’s intervention in South Lebanon since 2000 working on the advancement of human, economic and social development and contributing to the rehabilitation of communities affected by a long period of conflict and occupation. She noted that partnerships have been established with local authorities, municipalities, cooperatives, and civil society entities allowing the launching and implementation of the UNDP ART Gold programme targeting long term development in an enhanced and integrated approach.

Ms. Ruedas added that this Art Gold project is supported by the Coordination of Municipalities for Peace of the Province of Torino and the Municipality of Torino and aims to reduce some of the South communities' daily suffering from the low water supply both in terms of quantity and quality.
Ms. Ruedas said that the project has permitted the establishment of an equipped maintenance center to solve the problems of water supply networks through capacity building of the existing human resources as well as through provision of specialized equipment for maintenance.
Ms. Ruedas assured that this project is a model UNDP is also extending beyond Bint Jbeil and Nabatieh, to Tyre and Marjayoun, where similar water centres are being established. She concluded by thanking all the partners who contributed to the success of this project, especially the Italian Municipalities from the area of Torino, for their contribution and support.

The attendants concluded the ceremony by distributing certificates to the Lebanese engineers and technicians who participated in the different water maintenance trainings, and then they took a tour of the water maintenance facility in Bint Jbeil.