UN-Habitat: Gaza Participatory Spatial Planning Support Program

• The living conditions and future prospects are dire for the 1.9 million persons in the Gaza Strip living on 365 sq. km in a situation of accelerated “de-development”. 
• Since 2007, the whole Gaza Strip has been under land, air and sea blockade by the Occupying Power (Israel) 
• Recurrent wars in 2008-2009, 2012 and 2014 severely impacted human lives, livelihoods and infrastructure: in Summer 2014 destruction of private housing amounted to ca. 20’000 units (100’000 still homeless more than one year after the end of the conflict)
• Reconstruction of public and private infrastructure has been slow since September 2014 because of the blockade and the difficulty to get reconstruction material in the Gaza Strip.

Local and national institutions active in spatial panning in the oPt are strengthened to support the provision of basic services in a transparent and accountable manner.

Primary target groups and beneficiaries: Five Gazan Municipalities (out of 25) and two neighbourhood communities within each of these Municipalities possibly reaching ca.200’000 persons.

Secondary target groups: Ministry of Local Government/MDLF, Ministry of Public Works and Housing. For coordination purpose, Gaza-based inter-agency Shelter and EWASH clusters will also be targeted

• Capacities of local and national institutions, in particular municipalities, neighbourhood committees and government reconstruction Unit, in the Gaza Strip,  are strengthened for the provision of participatory, transparent and accountable urban spatial planning and improved services
• Communities and citizens of municipalities affected by the armed conflict are actively involved in spatial planning in the Gaza Strip

Erwartete Resultate:  

1. Improved municipal capacity to conduct and monitor participatory spatial planning including requisite business processes and technical skills of staff. 
2. Community social cohesion strengthened - with a specific focus on women and youth - through participatory neighbourhood and municipal spatial planning processes.
3. Intra-governmental and government-citizen collaboration built through the participatory spatial planning processes at the neighbourhood and municipal levels in five municipalities.
4. 5 municipal and 10 neighbourhood spatial plans developed and approved.

Palestinian Housing Council (PHC)

Norwegian Refugee Council, incl. Shelter and EWASH clusters in the Gaza Strip

Potential is recognized with ongoing interventions

7F-07621.01 (Contributions to MDPII and GIZ) 7F-09398.01 NRC (IDPs re-registration/UDOC) 7F-08809.01 (AM Qattan/Culture and LG)   

Complementarities with interventions covered by Domain  “Rule of Law/Protection” will be sought through project partners

Phase 1 01.11.2015 - 30.06.2019   (Completed)