As cities around the globe host half of the world population, they play significant role in development, health, education, and environment preservation efforts. Key role of cities face multiple challenges relating to social cohesion, economic development and sustainability in the course of providing services through the municipal authorities.
To face such kind of challenges, municipalities have adopted lifelong learning strategies for inclusive, sustainable urban development for tackling these challenges and in doing so they become ‘learning cities’.
In order to encourage such initiatives, the Unesco Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) adopted Unesco Learning Cities Award which was won by Al Wakrah Municipality this year making it the first in the Gulf region.
Al Wakrah Municipality won the Unesco Learning Cities Award 2021, outperforming more than 60 cities around the world. The municipality obtained this award for implementing a strategy for transformation into a sustainable city through the implementation of solar-powered lighting projects and the launch of national campaigns to raise awareness of sustainability and its importance throughout the year.
The city has also fulfilled the UN development goals including goal four on, “Quality Education” and 11th on “Building Sustainable Societies” which are based on the state’s strategy in providing learning opportunities for all and global indicators of the quality of education.
Al Wakrah’s winning the award was announced at the Fifth International Conference on Learning Cities, which was held recently in South Korea. The Award is open to all member cities of the Unesco Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC).
The municipality involved the elderly and young generation in developing solutions to environmental problems and sustainable development process, highlighting the role of women in Qatari society, achieving justice in creating a sustainable society preserving elements of environment from pollution and carbon emissions, and informing international and regional bodies of its sustainable development strategy achievements.
No doubt that this achievement was a result of great efforts that continued for years of work to serve the sustainable development goals and in pursuit of Qatar National Vision 2030, as stated by the Director of Public Affairs at Al Wakrah Municipality Abdulhadi Khamis Al Abdulrahman.
Al Wakra municipality has played a model role in providing learning opportunities and adopting policies that enable residents to respond to the rapidly changing world and gain the knowledge to work together to solve global challenges and create sustainable societies for better future.
Al Wakra’s excellence is success for all municipalities of Qatar and its model role in providing lifelong learning opportunities and implementing a leading educational policy will remain an achievement.
