Background and Objectives:
The Urban Environmental Strategy for Ecuador is part of the regional cooperation strategy between UNEP and UN-HABITAT for the execution of joint urban environmental assessments and Global Environment Outlook (GEO) Cities, followed up by the formulation of LA21 Action Plans and proposals. The Agenda 21 Project in Ecuador promotes good urban governance by supporting the elaboration and implementation of action plans. The main objective of this strategy is to strengthen the national and local capacity in environmental and territorial planning to improve the living conditions of the inhabitants of the cities.
Activities:
The main activities include:
- Improving the quality and management of the information related to the urban space and environment.
- Updating the cadastral information systems.
- Rationalizing the administrative processes related to the management of urban space.
- Organizing capacity-building workshops.
- Organizing city consultations.
- Promoting inter-cities networks.
- Designing demo projects through a participatory mechanism.
- Designing new projects to mobilize additional resources.
Results:
- Urban information systems, planning and management improved.
- Cadastral information systems improved.
- Capacity building action plans organized.
- Institutional networking between Esmeraldas, Loja and Cuenca implemented.
- Three new projects negotiated.
- Cooperation agreement signed between Esmeraldas and Cuenca.
- Twenty municipal employees included in training process.
- Cooperation agreement signed between the Ministry of Tourism and Esmeraldas municipality to promote “sustainable tourism” in Esmeraldas.
- Strategy for scaling up the urban-environmental strategy.
- An active and prolific interchange between Cuenca and Esmeraldas municipalities was implemented.
