Under the Sustainable Cities Program, the OAS Department of Sustainable Development (DSD) is implementing a small-grants project in Central America and the Caribbean. The objective is to expand cooperation under the Sustainable Cities pillar of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) by supporting innovative community-level sustainable development projects in Central America and the Caribbean. Amongst these projects is a project in Guatemala, aimed at reducing carbon emissions and indoor pollution from the use of wood. In Belize the focus is on public education and alternative waste management. In St. Kitts and Nevis the emphasis is on building community resilience to drought, floods and other natural hazards. In Costa Rica, the aim is to contribute to the implementation of an alternative urban transport system in the greater metropolitan area.
The project currently identifies and shares best practices and lessons learned from the Americas, in such areas as intelligent traffic solutions, smart grid infrastructure, solar pv for poverty alleviation, urban greening, and recycling technologies.
The following priority areas for sustainable community development have been identified:
• Waste and wastewater management, recycling (including e-waste)
• Resilience to natural hazards
• Community-based renewable and clean energy
• Sustainable transport solutions