Dubai: Winners of the eighth cycle of the Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment (DIABP) were announced yesterday by an independent jury of international experts.
The announcement was made at a press conference held by Dubai Municipality yesterday, which was attended by Engineer Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality; Dr Diana Lee-Smith, Chairperson of the International Jury of the award; and Wandia Seaforth, Chief of Best Practices Programme at UN-Habitat.
The international jury for the award held its deliberations during the past two days in Dubai and selected the ten winners in the Best Practices category, and two in the Best Practices Transfer category, Lootah said.
The winners will receive their awards at a special ceremony to be held in December, he added.
Cash prize
Each one of the 12 winning practices will receive a cash prize worth $30,000 (Dh110,100), in addition to the "Barjeel" trophy and certificate of merit.
The nominations accepted for the eighth cycle of the award represented best practices implemented by local and federal governments, non-governmental organisations and the private sector that address various issues related to safe housing, poverty eradication, economic development, environmental management, land use management, issues of children and youth, architecture and urban planning..
Winning criteria
Lootah said the best practices nominations addressed the issues that affect the lives of people, and in fact, provided concrete solutions to the problems faced by communities around the world in their efforts to provide a better living conditions for the population. All the submissions received will be added to the UN-Habitat Best Practices database to help in the sharing of knowledge and the transfer of best practices to other communities around the world.
Announcing the winners, Dr Lee-Smith said it was a difficult task to select 12 winners out the 46 excellent shortlisted entries from all over the world.
"The best practices tell us how communities, cities and countries are coming up with innovative solutions to old and new problems. They also show us that there are ongoing efforts to learn from the experiences of others, instead of re-inventing the wheel," Lee-Smith said.
Winners: ten best practices
Africa
- Angola - Luanda Urban Poverty Programme
- Kenya - Ikotoilet - Improving the Urban Living Environment
Arab States
- Lebanon - Sustainable Environmental Practices and Policies
Asia
- Mongolia - Environment Friendly Products
Europe
- Bulgaria - Composting: a livelihood for the Roma (Gypsy) ethnic minority in a small city.
- Spain - Barcelona schools agenda 21 programme
- Spain -Municipal climate change plan Noain, Valle de Elorz
Latin America
- Brazil - Cities without hunger - community gardens in Sao Paulo
- El Salvador - Recovery of the housing complex in the historical centre of San Salvador
- Mexico - Transfer of appropriate technologies for water and sanitation management in Tzotzill Indigenous community in Chiapas
Two Best Practices Transfer Awards
- Austria - Vienna Buys Ecological programme
- Argentina - Legal extension through neighbours in the city of Mendoza
