Ramallah Municipality
The Pitch
The municipality of Ramallah improved the sustainability and efficiency of the city’s resource use by expanding renewable energy generation and adopting new recycling and stormwater management systems.
The Problem
Ramallah, located in a water-scarce region, needed an effective way to recycle and reuse wastewater and solid waste. The city lacked forested green spaces and relied on non-renewable resources for power generation, which polluted the environment.
The Process
- Piloted solar panel placement on municipal buildings and public schools by collaborating with private sector entities
- Facilitated the transition from conventional street lighting to LED and electrified municipal vehicles
- Expanded the city’s sewage network to 83% connectivity, directing wastewater to a treatment plant that uses membrane bioreactor technology
- Created a solid waste sorting project to sort and reuse paper and cardboard from residential and commercial buildings
- Planted thousands of trees across the city
- Created new public parks
- Developed environmental bylaws to codify the new resource-use systems and guide future administrations
The Impact
- Reduces the city’s overall water use
- Helps the city operate more sustainably
- Directs reclaimed water to be used for irrigation, firefighting and road paving
- Provides shaded places for residents to cool off, access the environment and connect with each other
- Decreased municipality expenditures and allowed for economic growth and job creation
- Raised community engagement around environmental issues, particularly among school children
- Catalyzed development of the Climate Emergency Network, a collaboration with stakeholders that helps the city manage hazards from severe weather
- Institutionalized the city’s commitment to climate adaptation planning and outlined a strategy to develop resilience via creation of the Resilient Ramallah 2050 framework
- Created city bylaws that:
- Protect trees
- Address health and environmental hazards protections
- Codify procedures for connecting residential and commercial buildings to the sewer network
- Outline new sustainable building codes
- Help Ramallah organize and continue sustainability efforts into the future
