Bethlehem – The “Green Dheisheh” project, promoted by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) within the framework of delegated cooperation with the European Union, in partnership with CESVI Foundation, has concluded with concrete and encouraging results. The initiative aimed to improve solid waste management in the Dheisheh refugee camp and surrounding areas.
The results were presented during a public event held in Bethlehem, attended by representatives of partner institutions, local authorities, and key stakeholders involved in the project, marking an important moment to share and highlight the progress achieved.
The project significantly strengthened waste collection and management services through an integrated set of interventions: the distribution of around 1,500 household waste containers; the provision of new collection and transport vehicles, including two 4-cubic-meter mini vehicles and one 13-cubic-meter compactor truck, and the rehabilitation of the camp’s waste collection point. At the same time, environmental awareness activities were carried out, directly engaging the local community and promoting more sustainable behaviors.
The impact of the intervention was tangible: hygiene and sanitation conditions, as well as daily waste management practices, improved considerably, with a significant reduction in waste accumulation in residential areas and a noticeable enhancement of the urban environment.
Particularly significant were the findings from residents’ perception surveys. The percentage of people satisfied with the waste management system increased from 25% to 83%, while 93% of residents acknowledged an overall improvement in the service. Problems that had previously been widespread, such as rodents and stray animals, unpleasant odors, health risks, and waste-related fires, were no longer reported by the end of the project.
Despite these very positive results, there is still room for further improvement, particularly to make the system even more efficient and sustainable in the long term.
Thanks to its integrated approach, combining infrastructure, technical equipment, and awareness-raising activities, “Green Dheisheh” stands as a replicable model for other areas of the West Bank, helping promote more effective and sustainable waste management practices through cooperation and synergies among institutional actors.