WeWorld-GVC, INTERSOS and MIGRACE launch the new project GAIA, a technical assistance program for interventions to improve the management and access to essential services of Libyan municipalities.
Strengthening the capacity of 8 municipalities in responding to emergencies, providing water, hygiene services, environmental and social services to the most vulnerable individuals. This is the objective of the new project ‘Water, Hygiene and Environment Management’ (GAIA), funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), implemented by WeWorld-GVC, INTERSOS and MIGRACE in Western, Eastern and Southern Libya and closely coordinated with the Ministry of Local Governance (MoLG).
Launched in May 2022, the project will run for one year. Its implementation in the coming months will include various activities such as: strengthening the setup of emergency office in each target municipality; capacity building trainings for public officials, staff of municipalities and civil society actors; awareness campaigns for citizens; rehabilitation and maintenance of water and sanitation systems; support to waste management in communities; promotion of social cohesion and inclusion of vulnerable groups; rehabilitation of public social spaces. GAIA will reach a total of over 72.000 direct beneficiaries and more than 600.000 indirect beneficiaries, the entire population of the 8 target municipalities. The project will be carried out under the “Technical assistance program for interventions to improve the management and access to essential services of Libyan municipalities”, with the overall objective to improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable population.
More than a decade after the revolution, in fact, Libya is still experiencing political instability. The conflict has caused significant damage to infrastructure and drastically reduced access to basic services and income for the population. At the local level, despite a legal framework for decentralization, many areas remain centralized and have little financial independence, negatively affecting access to services and quality. According to the 2022 Libya Humanitarian Needs Overview published by OCHA, nearly 381.000 people are estimated to need access to drinking water and sanitation. The analysis of the situation conducted on the ground has revealed that many needs exist also in the area of waste management and collection.
In this context, the project GAIA will intervene in the WASH sector, but will also support the decentralization process by strengthening the municipalities' capacity to address the needs of the population in the long term. This intervention in partnership with INTERSOS and MIGRACE is in line with the expertise and previous experience of WeWorld-GVC in the country, where the NGO has been working since 2018 in the areas of WASH, protection and health through a Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus Approach.
