German municipalities benefit from international cooperation

The town of Baruth/Mark in Brandenburg and the city of Mörön in Mongolia have more in common than meets the eye: ‘At local government level, we face similar challenges,’ says former mayor Peter Ilk. ’These include issues such as infrastructure and education.’ The two communities have been linked by a development partnership for over 15 years. A recent study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which collected data from more than 180 partnerships and carried out 16 case studies, shows that partnerships like these are effective.

Exchange and dialogue promote better coexistence

Like Baruth, Mörön has an abundance of forests and waterways, Ilk explains. Through municipal knowledge sharing, both the Mark region and the Mongolian city have been able not only to develop their timber and water management sectors but also to create jobs and training opportunities. Furthermore, the partnership has improved water supply and wastewater disposal. On the German side, the experience gained from this cooperation has led to a greater focus on public dialogue. ‘We’ve benefited greatly from learning how to get citizens more involved in local decision-making,’ says Ilk.

Baruth/Mark also organises trips to Mongolia for town councillors and residents in collaboration with its own foundation and IGNEZ, a society set up specifically for the purpose. This has greatly increased acceptance of the initiative within the town,’ says Frank Zierath from the Baruth water utility WABAU. In addition, the town organises biennial international youth camps. This year’s camp included participants from Mongolia, Ukraine, Poland and Croatia. ‘This initiative enables us to promote greater understanding and improve the way people coexist,’ says Ilk.

Breaking down prejudice, building tolerance

The district of Giessen in Hesse has had similar experiences as a result of its climate partnership with the Ugandan municipality of Mubende. ‘In Mubende, we recognised the importance of engaging young people in issues that concern the future and addressing them in a completely different way,’ says Manfred Felske-Zech from the District Committee for Economic Development, Tourism and Climate Action. Instead of formal written approaches and calls to action, there are now informal meetings with youth movements and climate camps made up of young people from Germany and Uganda. After all, Giessen is also grappling with the consequences of climate change. ‘The water table has already fallen so far that we’ve had to urge people to save water and do certain things differently,’ says Felske-Zech. Raising young people’s awareness of these issues and taking their suggestions on board is vital in this regard.

The climate partnership with Mubende has been in place since 2020. In a series of joint projects, the partner municipalities have installed solar-powered street lights in the most unsafe neighbourhoods and provided households with small solar-powered lamps. In November, they will also be inaugurating a biogas plant that converts organic waste into clean energy. Many people in Mubende still cook over open wood fires. This poses a risk to people’s health, results in deforestation and thus entails further climate risks. 

Another outcome of the partnership is the establishment of a school twinning scheme between a Ugandan school and a school from a disadvantaged area in the district of Giessen. ‘This initiative goes a long way towards breaking down prejudice and fostering tolerance, which is important for our global coexistence,’ says Felske-Zech. 

On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, GIZ supports work with local partnerships in over 100 countries to build a future worth living.