Municipality

Kladovo

Title

Improvement of Environmental Protection through Sustainable Development in Kladovo

Problem

Kladovo lacked a city park and its existing green areas were unkempt and not maintained. The untended green areas around Fetislam fortress presented a particular problem as this location is key to the future development of tourism in Kladovo municipality as well as the planned location for tourist manifestations and the 2006 Ethno Festival. Environmental consciouness was low, particularly among youth, as secondary and elementary schools provide minimal special ecological education, apart from modest presence in other subjects, and there was no direct or indirect initiative for raising the level of the youth awareness of the significance and their responsibility for protecting and preserving the environment. In the local communities of Kladovo municipality, outside the town, no ecological activities involving citizen participation and have taken place in the past decade. Communities also had many problems with wild refuse dumps.

Solution

A concerted environmental action was ogranized to help address these problems and included the following components: organizing the action entitled „Let’s clean our backyard” in 23 local communities of Kladovo municipality, in which citizens engaged in cleaning their backyards and gardens and the public utility company “Komunalac” workers, apart from their regular duties, removed the garbage; “Sveti Sava” high school and “Vuk Karadzic” elementary school students cleaned the areas around the school facilities using tools, gloves, bags from the public company; the public company worked overtime to clean 5 streets in the city center; a tractor mower was provided to clean up and maintain the green areas in town, with particular focus on the Fetsilam Fortress; and local radio and TV stations broadcasted two shows promoting and publicizing the activities.

Impact

The successful implementation of the abovementioned activities directly promotes the principles of sustainable development through its three pillars: environment, society and economy. Providing the tractor mower enables more efficient maintenance of town green areas and the old town Fetislam, which directly affects the improvement of the quality of Kladovo’s tourist offerings. In addition, concrete promotional activities help alter citizens’ habits regarding the removal of household rubbish. Citizen and local government joint participation helps strengthen their partnership in protecting the environment, and activities focusing on youth increase the level of the elementary and high school students' consciousness in how they contribute to their environmental surroundings.

Beneficiaries

7,600 

USAID Funds

$3,190

Community and Other Contribution

$2,000