Supporting Decentralisation through the Promotion of Good Urban Environmental Governance

Background and Objectives

This is a joint UNDP/UN-HABITAT (SCP and UMP) programme with the goal of supporting and securing the development of sustainable cities throughout Thailand through pro-poor urban and environmental governance. The programme will seek to make a significant contribution to the Millennium Development Goals of ensuring environmental sustainability through sustained improvements in the quality of life and livelihoods of the urban poor, by promoting participatory urban management and action plans. Three interrelated objectives will consolidate and harmonize Thai toolkits in urban and environmental governance on the basis of documented Thai good practices, establish a knowledge management node for the dissemination of good practice and capacity-development materials, and develop regional networks for the delivery of local level capacity building.

The programme will provide a mechanism to secure substantial additional second phase funding and local action plan implementation funds from key agencies in urban and environmental governance.

Activities

The main activities include:

* Implementing the City Consultation process, a broad and flexible participatory urban decision-making process involving, and replicating the experience;
* Identifying and mobilising stakeholders and undertaking a City Profile;
* Elaborating key issues and agreeing on priorities through broad-based consultation;
* Agreeing action plans and designing and implementing demonstration projects;
* Implementing action plans and learning from the process;
* Enhancing the capacity of NMLT to share good practice through enhanced systems of 'knowledge management';
* Building Regional Learning Networks to support the delivery of decentralised capacity-development programmes to municipalities.

Results (2008)

* Five city action plans developed;
* Five green area maps and small area maps developed for communities;
* Community planning integrated in local government urban plans;
* NMLT capacity enhanced for knowledge management;
* Five Regional Learning Networks established and functional.