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ID: 112578Added: 2007-05-30 12:26Modified: 2008-08-28 13:01Refreshed: 2010-02-08 00:37 
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News 8 of 9
Moreno, Argentina was the first focus city funded through the Focus Cities Research Initiative launched in 2005 by IDRC’s Urban Poverty and Environment program. Seven other research teams in Latin America, Africa, and Asia will now receive five years of funding through the initiative. Each focus city will serve as an urban laboratory to test, validate, and refine citywide development strategies aimed at building more livable cities. Moreno is one of the poorest municipalities within the Province of Buenos Aires. Basic needs, such as water and sanitation, are unmet for 26% of the city’s 380 000 residents compared to 15.8% for the rest of the province. Residents also lack input into the decision-making processes that shape their neighbourhoods. But thanks to the work of IDRC`s focus city partner, the International Institute for Environment and Development in América Latina (IIED–AL) Moreno’s citizens are finding their political voice.  April 2007 marked the end of consultations and workshops to help residents identify and map neighbourhood environmental problems and propose solutions. Maps were refined and project proposals prepared in a subsequent series of roundtables with a smaller group of representatives chosen by workshop participants and community groups. Some 447 people representing 75 of Moreno’s 156 barrios and 86 different neighbourhood organizations participated in the process. Twenty-five project proposals have been brought forward, grouped under four themes: water and sanitation; solid wastes; green — public spaces; and awareness and capacity building. In tandem, municipal technicians have gathered data from different municipal departments to prepare their own planning maps and project proposals for improving local infrastructure. In June 2007, both groups -- community representatives and municipal authorities -- sat down to discuss project proposals, negotiate priorities, and select pilot projects. It was an important trust-building exercise as both groups work toward a common goal: making Moreno a more livable city. “The activities carried out to date aim to develop an enabling space where the dialogue between community members and the local government create the possibility of addressing local environmental problems in a more participative and innovative way. From here we can start building a multistakeholder model for managing environmental problems, “ says Ana Hardoy, IIED–AL’s executive director. IIED–AL’s past work with Moreno officials to develop a successful partnership model for providing water and sanitation services has formed the basis for this latest initiative, funded through IDRC’s Focus City research initiative. Contact: Ana Hardoy Executive Director International Institute for Environment and Development - America Latina IIED - América Latina Avenida General Paz 1180 Buenos Aires Tel: (54-11) 4701 2805 Fax: (54-11) 4703 5014 Email:ahardoy@iied-al.org.ar Website: www.iied-al.org.ar Walter Ubal Giordano Senior Program Specialist Urban Poverty and Environment Program IDRC Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean Avenida Brasil 2655, 11300 Montevideo, Uruguay Phone: (+598-2) 709-0042 Fax: (+598-2) 708-6776 Email: wubal@idrc.org.uy Web: www.idrc.ca/lacro Kevin Conway
2007-06
News 8 of 9
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