Durable Qaddura – Renovating Waste Management and a Public Park in the Qaddura Refugee Camp, Ramallah

Summary

The Municipality of Ramallah commits to upgrading Qaddura Refugee Camp’s solid waste management system, rehabilitating its public park, and launching an awareness campaign about environmental stewardship for families living in the camp. 

Ramallah will overhaul Qaddura Camp’s outdated and unreliable solid waste management system, which currently poses public health risks and contributes to environmental degradation in the camp. The municipality will survey camp residents to identify their needs, replace the camp’s waste collection vehicle, and install new garbage and recycling bins. As part of this reform, Ramallah will implement an awareness campaign to teach children living in the camp about environmental stewardship and proper waste disposal.

In addition to waste management reform, Ramallah will refurbish a popular recreational park in Qaddura. Ramallah Municipality will redevelop the park into an age-responsive and gender-inclusive public space for children and their caregivers to play and rest. The park will also help protect Qaddura and its residents from the impacts of climate change.

Ramallah’s project will be implemented in partnership with refugee leaders from Qaddura, ensuring that the reforms create a clean, safe, and welcoming environment for all residents. This project is supported by the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees.

Impact

Ramallah Municipality’s project will enhance sanitation, public health, and well-being for refugees living in Qaddura Camp. 

Reforms to the camp’s waste management system will prevent solid waste accumulation and littering, reducing the spread of disease and air and water pollution. Ramallah’s awareness raising campaign will help ensure the sustainability of good sanitation and waste disposal practices and foster a spirit of environmental stewardship among camp residents, especially children.   

Qaddura’s rehabilitated park will promote healthy child development and support the well-being of caregivers. The parks recreational areaswill give children opportunities to practice social, emotional and physical skills through play while offering their caregivers space to rest and socialize. As a green space, the park will also help protect Qaddura and its residents from the impacts of climate change: the park’s vegetation, shaded areas, and other climate-smart infrastructure will help mitigate extreme heat and flooding.   

With this commitment, Ramallah Municipality will work hand in hand with the Qaddura Refugee Camp committee to improve quality of life in the camp, making it a safer, greener, cleaner and more welcoming place for children and their caregivers to learn, play, and grow.