The Fitoambient project arises from a new culture of peace developed by CRELP FVG – Regional Committee of Friuli Venezia Giulia Local Authorities for Peace and Human Rights, and ACD –Decentralized Cooperation Agency, CRELP’s operational tool in the field of international cooperation.

General objective:

To enhance the international cooperation activities of the Italian local authorities, offering an advanced methodology of action, in order to concretely implement the fundamental values of the Decentralized Cooperation.

The “Decentralized Cooperation” is the structured system of development cooperation activities implemented by local authorities (Regions, Provinces, and Municipalities) in cooperation with the local Civil Society Organizations (universities, trade unions, SMEs, research agencies, NGOs, social enterprises). These actions are developed in partnership with the analogous authorities of the developing countries. In other words, two local authorities (from a developed and a developing country) work together for jointly designing and realize a local development project. This is a form of cooperation that aims at involving the civil society of the interested countries, during the elaboration, planning and implementation of the projects.

In particular, the outputs of the Decentralized Cooperation are the following:

• mobilize the people focusing on their needs and priorities;
• strengthen the role and position of civil society in development processes;
• promote the economic and social development – sustainable and equitable – through widespread participatory processes.

ACD, which has been present in Lebanon for several years, has realized a pilot phytodepuration plant at the outlet of a trout pond, located along the Assi River, in the district of Hermel – Bekaa Governorship.

The phytodepuration system is a relatively new technology, not common in Lebanon. These systems can have really important results in purifying the organic pollution derived from human activities with low costs of maintenance utilizing low-tech solution.

For these reasons this could represent an appropriate and effective technology for the environmental context of this country.

Moreover, the phytodepuration systems artificially replicate natural habitats that is why they have very little environmental impact, not affecting the already fragile ecosystem balance.

With this project, ACD achieved the basic outputs of decentralized cooperation: on one hand participatory processes are developed involving people to the practical implementation of the goal; on the other hand, ACD and the local partners realized training courses in order to give local technicians the necessary knowhow to replicate the intervention in other areas of the river.

Through a shared action of “dissemination”, the project partners strengthened the awareness of the civil society, with appropriate “social education” campaign on the “meaning” of the action. Furthermore, it has been raised the awareness of the local community on its responsibilities in ensuring the overall environmental quality and usability.

Finally ACD used the resources, the awareness and the knowledge experienced in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (in Italy the first phytodepuration plant was built in Gorizia by CETA) in the framework of an effective interchange between the two communities.

–       ACD – Agency for Decentralized Cooperation

CETA – Centre for Theoretical and Applied Ecology University of Udine

CEGO Multipurpose Center of Gorizia

union of municipality of Hermel- Planning and Development Agency- PDA Lebanon

Hermel Cultural Association

Lega Pesca – Haliéus NG