June 6, 2002 -- Fourteen final winners received the Stockholm Partnerships Award from the King of Sweden Wednesday at a ceremony in Stockholm.
The winners, who were announced on World Environment Day, represent innovative solutions for sustainable development in metropolitan areas from thirteen countries around the world.
One winning project, a stormwater and sewerage project in the Gaza and Palestinian territories, has contributed to enhancing water resources, improving the local environment and public health in a water-scarce area frought with polical unrest.
The backbone of the project is collecting the stormwater and treating the municipal wastewater, to provide affordable safe water for the inhabitants of the territory.
The project is a joint effort between the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The project is still succeeding in bringing safe water to those living and working in the region.
Another project, a cooperative project between Emthanjeni in South Africa and Karlstad in Sweden, is building awareness of environmental issues in Emthanjeni. Innovative and cost-effective water, sanitation and waste management concepts have been adopted. (See photo below)
At the same time friendship has developed between people in the two municipalities.
Motivated by Local Agenda 21, the two teams are presently fighting for funds to extend their work.
The winning projects are:
• A stormwater and sewerage project in Gaza, Palestinian Territories
• A model for microfinancing and community development in five provincial cities in Vietnam
• A technology prototype for sustainable living in Inkerman Oasis, Australia
• Cooperation and partnership between the cities of Emthanjeni in South Africa and Karlstad in Sweden
• Microfinance for development and social justice in Nicaragua
• A model for economies in transition in Ciechanow, Poland
• An African international partnership helping to secure peace with community radio stations in Niger
• A transportation research and injury prevention program in India
• A partnership for urban regeneration pattern break project in Stapleton, USA
• A program for social inclusion through information society from Ventspils in Latvia
• An international walk to school initiative in UK
• A sustainable transportation with carsharing in Gothenburg, Sweden
• A model for transport and public space in third world cities by Bogota, Colombia.
The 2002 Stockholm Jury Prize goes to Jeb Brugmann for his work in founding and supporting Local Agenda 21 between 1992 and 2002. He conceived the idea and the term Local Agenda 21 and he has been one of the central figures in bringing local government concerns to the attention of the United Nations.
The winners of Stockholm Partnerships Award has been selected by an international jury. They all demonstrate local impact, innovative thinking and a potential for replication or transferability. In all over 220 development projects from 53 countries have submitted entries to the Partnerships Programme. Together they all represent a "knowledge base" for urban innovations useful to cities all over the world.
The Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities conference is organised by the City of Stockholm to commemorate the global awakening of the environmental challenge 30 years ago at the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm.
For information about the winners and the Jury Motivations and to see more photos, visit http://www.swedentech.com.
