Local administration mobilized for promoting eco-friendly city growth through active participation of local authorities
Rewritten Article:
Kuwait's Council of Ministers plans to give more power to each governorate, empowering them to tackle crucial tasks currently managed by central ministries and institutions. The goal? Improving the quality of life and sustainable urban development across the nation.
This ambitious proposal will allow governorates to assume control over landscaping projects and the maintenance of public amenities. This move aligns with Kuwait's vision to make its cities more livable and appealing visually, boosting urban development's overall efficiency.
In an interview with Al-Rai, sources confirmed the need for a unified local authority to manage tasks such as road maintenance, street lighting, green spaces, sanitation, and irrigation systems. The aim here is to ensure a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing look for all neighborhoods.
Each governorate will be tasked with preparing an annual integrated plan for beautification and maintenance. These plans will be executed through combined tenders, involving the activation of consulting offices for design and technical supervision, and the creation of permanent technical committees. Representatives from key institutions like the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs, the Kuwait Municipality, the Ministry of Public Works, and the Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy will be included in these committees.
The committees' responsibilities will encompass coordination, project design, oversight during execution, and ensuring contractors follow technical standards. Furthermore, each governorate will set up a unified supervisory body to oversee all aspects of urban landscaping and public facility maintenance.
Collaboration with cooperative societies and civil society organizations is also part of the plan. Such partnerships will support beautification efforts, promote maintenance activities, and raise public awareness about their role in protecting and preserving shared spaces.
The proposal also suggests redistributing current landscaping contracts - now under the supervision of the PAAAFR - among the six main urban zones, ensuring equitable geographic coverage and balanced service delivery.
Empowering governorates this way is believed to boost institutional performance, increase the efficiency of public spending, and reinforce good governance principles. This initiative reflects Kuwait's larger commitment to sustainable development and the continuous enhancement of the urban environment and citizens' well-being.
Notable aspects of the plan include:
- Governorate Councils: The Cabinet has highlighted the importance of establishing these councils in each region, composed of representatives from relevant government agencies, nominated by respective ministers in collaboration with local governors. This setup aims to enhance service delivery and address citizens' needs more effectively.
- Enhanced Responsibilities: With the establishment of these councils, governorates will assume greater responsibilities, including overseeing local infrastructure projects and effectively managing services like pavement maintenance, street lighting, and green spaces.
- Integrated Annual Plans: Each governorate will prepare an integrated annual plan for beautification and maintenance, offering projects through combined tenders.
- Infrastructure Examples: In support of this initiative, the Ministry of Public Works has announced a multi-year plan featuring over 66 projects aimed at upgrading infrastructure across the country. Projects related to road construction, building maintenance, and transportation infrastructure are essential for urban development.
- Affordable Housing: The Public Authority for Housing Welfare is planning to launch an affordable housing project in the Ahmadi Governorate, including residential units, public buildings, and infrastructure improvements like road lighting.
- Urban Challenges: Projects such as the Al-Riqqa'i Project - which combines modern infrastructure with a focus on community living - demonstrate Kuwait's commitment to addressing urban challenges through sustainable and community-driven initiatives.
- To support the country's sustainable urban development and improve citizens' quality of life, the Kuwait government plans to implement a policy that shifts power to each governorate, enabling them to oversee outdoor-living initiatives, such as landscaping projects, the maintenance of public amenities, and policies related to sustainable-living practices.
- This new policy also includes the establishment of Governorate Councils, composed of representatives from relevant government agencies, responsible for enhancing service delivery, addressing citizens' needs, and taking on greater responsibilities, including overseeing local infrastructure projects and managing services like pavement maintenance, street lighting, and green spaces.
- To ensure efficient and cohesive urban development, each governorate will prepare an integrated annual plan for beautification and maintenance, involving the activation of consulting offices for design and technical supervision, and the creation of permanent technical committees involving key institutions like the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs, the Kuwait Municipality, the Ministry of Public Works, and the Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy. The committees' roles will be to coordinate, design projects, oversee execution, and ensure contractors adhere to technical standards, while partnerships with cooperative societies and civil society organizations will support these efforts, promote maintenance activities, and raise public awareness about their role in protecting and preserving shared spaces.
