As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen capacity-building and knowledge exchange in sustainable solid waste management and environmental resilience, the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) is implementing a specialized training programme targeting personnel from municipalities and local authorities in the State of Palestine. The programme is delivered under CEDARE’s Capacity-Building Programme, with funding from the Municipal Development and Lending Fund (MDLF).
This training forms part of an integrated programme targeting 34 Palestinian trainees through three training courses. The first course, attended by 11 trainees, took place from 20 to 24 September 2026. The second course is scheduled for 4–8 October 2026, with 12 trainees, followed by the third course from 11–14 October 2026, with 11 trainees.
The first training group’s activities on Solid Waste Management and Environmental Resilience commenced during the period of 20–24 September 2026, with the participation of 11 Palestinian municipal personnel. The intensive five-day programme combines specialized lectures, daily interactive workshops, and field visits, covering the following key areas:
- Integrated Waste Management and Engineering Technologies: Covering solid waste treatment technologies, as well as environmental considerations in the design of sanitary landfills and associated road networks.
- Environmental Management Systems and Climate Action: Reviewing Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), alongside adaptation and mitigation mechanisms, and the integration of climate action into urban planning and municipal cleaning service contracts.
- Applied Field Visits: The third day is dedicated to field visits to the Mechanical-Biological Treatment (MBT) plant and sanitary landfill in the Shabramant area, providing first-hand insight into the solid waste collection and transportation systems operated by a company working in Cairo Governorate. The programme also includes a visit to Al-Azhar Park as a model of urban environmental rehabilitation.
- Resilient Infrastructure and the Circular Economy: Focusing on infrastructure capable of withstanding climate change impacts, energy-efficiency and renewable-energy solutions, as well as technical risk assessment.
- Financing and Partnerships: Discussing the fundamentals of public-private partnerships (PPPs), feasibility studies and financial bankability analysis, circular economy applications, and mechanisms for mobilizing financing for municipal projects and services.
The programme aims to equip Palestinian municipal personnel with the latest scientific and practical tools and methodologies for managing waste management systems in a resilient and environmentally sustainable manner, in response to local and regional challenges.
This initiative reflects CEDARE’s commitment to strengthening regional cooperation, developing the institutional and technical capacities of local personnel, and promoting the exchange of knowledge and expertise in sustainable environmental management. These efforts contribute to building more efficient and resilient systems capable of addressing environmental challenges.
