Water and Environmental Development Organization (WEDO) -مركز التطوير المائي

Founded on 25 March 1998, the Water and Environmental Development Organization (WEDO) is a Palestinian non-profit, non-governmental organization working for the protection and sustainable management of water, environmental and natural resources. WEDO was established by professionals with academic and practical backgrounds in water, sanitation and environmental management, with the objective of bridging the gap between scientific research, policy development and practical application. The organization works closely with local communities, municipalities, schools, NGOs and other stakeholders to promote environmental protection, sustainable resource management and community-based solutions. WEDO has particular expertise in water conservation, sanitation, wastewater treatment and reuse, environmental education, natural resource protection, GIS and spatial analysis, environmental assessment, territorial planning and community engagement. WEDO also works with regional and international partners and has experience in transboundary and Mediterranean cooperation. Through its cooperation with environmental networks and partners, including Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME), WEDO has contributed to projects involving Palestinian communities and stakeholders and has supported practical approaches to environmental and territorial challenges. WEDO has extensive experience in European and Mediterranean cooperation projects. Under INTERREG IIIB ARCHIMED, WEDO participated as a project partner in WATER-MAP – Development and Utilization of Vulnerability Maps for the Monitoring and Management of Groundwater Resources in the ARCHIMED Area. The project involved GIS-based groundwater vulnerability mapping, environmental analysis and spatial decision-support approaches, providing relevant experience for the development of integrated territorial information systems and evidence-based planning. Under ENPI CBC MED, WEDO/FoEME participated as a project partner in MIDEMP – Empowerment of Management Capacities of the Middle Eastern Public Bodies on Public Services and Socio-Economical Local Development, contributing to territorial planning, local development, participatory approaches, public-sector capacity building and related information-management activities. WEDO/FoEME also participated in the Protecting Groundwater initiative, contributing to GIS training, environmental risk mapping, groundwater monitoring, field data collection, municipal capacity building and community engagement. These institutional and technical competences are directly relevant to GREEN-ROUTES and to the transfer, adaptation, testing and replication of Cultural Routes and Local Sustainable Tourism Planning methodologies. WEDO will contribute to the collection, harmonization and spatial analysis of cultural, natural, agricultural, rural and water-related heritage assets; the development of the Integrated GIS Heritage and Tourism Database; the identification and mapping of sustainable tourism routes; field validation; stakeholder engagement; and the preparation of the Palestinian Local Sustainable Tourism Action Plan. WEDO's territorial relevance is based on more than two decades of work in Palestine in the fields of water, environment, natural resources, community cooperation and territorial development. Its knowledge of Palestinian municipalities, local communities, environmental stakeholders and territorial challenges will support the practical adaptation and testing of the transferred methodology and help ensure that project outputs respond to the specific needs and opportunities of the Palestinian pilot territory. WEDO is motivated to participate as a Project Partner because GREEN-ROUTES provides an opportunity to connect WEDO's established environmental, GIS and community-based expertise with sustainable tourism, cultural heritage and territorial development. WEDO will contribute its technical knowledge and Palestinian territorial experience to the transnational partnership while benefiting from the exchange of methodologies, tools and practices with Mediterranean partners. Through this cooperation, WEDO will support the development of transferable solutions that can strengthen sustainable, inclusive and digitally enabled tourism development in Palestinian and other Mediterranean territories.