Participatory Infrastructure Project (PIP)

Context

Egypt’s cities are growing at a very rapid pace. While Egypt has seen considerable success in implementing urban-upgrading activities, the strategic approach applied in informal areas needs to be better coordinated. The state also faces challenges in controlling informal urban expansion and in planning management; Greater Cairo has about 20 million inhabitants, more than 60 per cent of whom live in informal urban areas. These are densely built-up and lack adequate access to public infrastructure and services. Participatory planning instruments are not being sufficiently utilised to improve the urban planning process. 

The Participatory Infrastructure Project (PIP) is an Egyptian-German development project implemented in cooperation between the Egyptian Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities (MoHUUC) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It is funded and supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the European Union (EU) and Egyptian partners. 

Based on experience gained in the Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas (PDP) since 2010, the Participatory Infrastructure Project (PIP) further develops tried-and-tested measures and approaches in integrated and participatory planning. The PIP interventions use infrastructure-upgrading measures to provide hands-on learning experience to the stakeholders involved to improve their delivery of basic services. The areas of need identified include infrastructure for water, wastewater, solid waste, education, health and recreation, which will be targeted by the project.

The geographical target area covers nine informal settlements in the Greater Cairo region with an estimated total population of about two million.

Objective

The establishment and operation of basic public infrastructure and related public services in nine informal urban settlements of Greater Cairo Region is improved. The competent ministry uses integrated and participatory development approaches, which are mainstreamed in the guidelines of urban development policies.

Approach

The construction work to physically upgrade the local infrastructure will go hand in hand with capacity development at the governorate and district levels. Here, participatory planning instruments will be introduced and the planning procedures in place will be developed further. This will be achieved by drawing up Local Area Development Plans (LADPs). The project will ensure that local communities are directly involved in the measures through participation in the LADPs. A specific focus is a high level of ownership in the upgraded infrastructures as well as particular benefits for women and youth. What is more, the project will promote the work of local community groups by establishing a Local Initiative Fund (LIF). This will provide incentives for socioeconomic activities performed by civil-society organisations. 

Areas of action
1.    Improved delivery of basic infrastructure and services in nine informal areas by implementing approximately 30 medium-size infrastructure-upgrading measures.
2.    Participation by civil society in the socio-economic development of informal areas.
3.    Improving the capacity of local authorities to act, including support for a better national policy framework for the development of informal areas.

Results

• In August 2018, two pilot Local Area Development Plans (LADPs) were finalised and a further seven are to be completed in the near future.
• An international consultancy office was contracted to design and supervise the implementation of 30 medium-size infrastructure projects identified as part of the LADP process.
• A Project Management Office (PMO) was set up with the partner ministry in July 2018. The resulting close cooperation with the lead executing agency enabled the project to agree on the necessary adaptations and to carry out additional LADPs.Agreements have also been made with three governorates on the framework conditions for project execution, and local steering committees have been established.
• Training has been given to:
  110 government employees (on geographic information system (GIS) applications), 45 urban planners on the Urban Nexus approach for resource-efficient and integrated cities and 90 civil-society organisations (on project planning).

Last update: May 2021