Urban planning is crucial for any community but especially for Libyan communities that faced years of conflict and limited government investment. Libya hasn’t had a functional urban development plan since 2000 and during that time random population growth has turned agricultural areas into densely populated neighborhoods leaving municipal offices, often with little expertise, struggling to deliver services that keep up with population growth.

To support municipalities in Libya, USAID’s Taqarib activity hosted a four day urban planning workshop in late July for engineers from municipal urban planning offices and civil society organizations. The workshop expanded on the e-learning urban planning courses offered by Taqarib and emphasized climate adaptation. This initiative teaches local communities ways to rebuild and enhance their infrastructure, fostering inclusive and sustainable development by actively shaping the physical, economic, social, and environmental landscape of cities and towns.

Representatives from the communities of  Kabaw, Zliten, Tripoli Central, Tajoura, Abu Salim, and Batin al-Jabal participated. These communities, many of which have endured years of violence and resultant infrastructure damage, are now seizing the opportunity to rebuild and create resilient urban environments.

The workshop was led by engineer Nada Al-Fitouri, an experienced architect and urban designer, and Professor Hadia Ali Qana of the Libyan Historic Commission. They covered topics including urban area management, the economic and environmental impacts of urban planning, strategies for addressing climate change, and the preservation of historical sites. This diverse range of subjects is designed to equip municipal leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the complexities of urban development in post-conflict settings.

USAID is committed to supporting Libyan municipalities in their efforts to enhance service delivery and improve the quality of life for their citizens. USAID offers hundreds of in person and online courses to municipal governments to help them improve their efficiency and increase the quality of life for residents.

Rabia Al-Mabrouk is the owner of Aqadeer, a business specializing in date molasses in Sebha, Libya. Rabia's entrepreneurial journey began out of necessity after the death of her husband when she needed a way to support her five children. She started by baking and selling bread from her home, but quickly transitioned to making date molasses, her children’s favorite treat.

The early days were challenging as Rabia navigated challenges in sourcing dates and spent long hours removing pits by hand. To improve efficiency, she hired local women, purchased pitted dates, and acquired essential cooking supplies. Despite these efforts, her business lacked a strategic growth plan and her earnings stagnated.

Rabia applied to the USAID Libya Economic Acceleration Program’s business mentorship activity where she learned to build a marketing strategy, develop financial plans, and create packaging that would improve food safety while increasing brand recognition.

Rabia began implementing what she learned to her business, first identifying a suitable location for her workshop outside of her house, then hiring two additional women. Rabia also purchased sanitizing equipment to ensure a safer and higher quality product. Her new marketing plan increased her sales by 30 percent in the first two months after her training.

Rabia’s entrepreneurial dreams aren’t stopping there. She wants to expand her business to produce other date products with the goal of eventually moving the operation to a factory and hiring more staff.  The four-year USAID Libya Economic Acceleration Project helps entrepreneurs expand their businesses and enhance their economic competitiveness, improving their economic outlook, while strengthening the licit economy and promoting stability in southern Libya.

Following years of conflict and infrastructure neglect, the reliability of electricity in southern Libya remains a significant challenge, impacting both businesses and daily life. To address these issues, solar panels have emerged as a viable solution for ensuring consistent power supplies given the region's abundant sunshine.

USAID, through its Libya Economic Acceleration Program, recently conducted a comprehensive ten-day training program on solar panel installation and repair. This training was provided to twelve employees of Al-Enara Al-Badeela, the only solar company operating in Algatroun, a remote town situated in a geographically isolated border region. Participants received hands-on training in installation and maintenance techniques, enhancing their technical skills and capacity.

As part of the program, the trainees also undertook a field visit to the Algatroun Central Blood Bank, where they performed essential maintenance to the facility's solar panels, ensuring it is able to fulfill its lifesaving mission to the community. USAID is helping companies like Al-Enara Al-Badeela be best positioned to meet the growing demand for renewable energy services in the area, either from residents, off-grid farms who use solar energy to operate their water pumps, or clinics who need to protect sensitive lifesaving equipment.

Through these endeavors, USAID is not only improving the economic outlook for Al-Enara Al-Badeela, but it is supporting the sustainable development and resilience of southern Libyan communities by enhancing their access to reliable and renewable energy sources.

With the support of USAID’s Libya Elections and Legislative Strengthening Activity, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) is collaborating with H2O, a youth-led civil society organization dedicated to promoting democracy and conducting election observation in Libya. This year, H2O embarked on an in-depth legal analysis of the current electoral framework governing municipal council elections. The organization compared existing regulations with constitutional provisions, laws, international and regional treaties, and international election standards. Based on this analysis, H2O formulated a comprehensive set of recommendations for the House of Representatives (HoR) and the High National Election Commission (HNEC), highlighting potential challenges in implementing the municipal council elections.

In May, H2O held a press conference in Tripoli to present these findings and recommendations. Participants included members of the HoR, the High State Council, HNEC, civil society organizations, activists, embassies, and media. During the conference, H2O outlined their recommendations and the rationale behind them, followed by an interactive session for questions and feedback. H2O then used this feedback to refine the final report before it was shared with key stakeholders.

Sarah Al-Swayah, a member of the HoR, lauded H2O’s efforts, emphasizing that the organization's work is in alignment with the vital role of civil society. She noted that the HoR’s local government committee will take H2O’s recommendations into consideration as they draft a new law for local government. As Libya moves closer to its elections, H2O, with ongoing support from USAID, will continue its advocacy, training, and observation initiatives. These efforts are crucial in ensuring adherence to international standards, to increase trust in the electoral process.