Empowering Urban Communities: A Human Security Toolkit for Inclusive and Sustainable Development

Lebanon has been facing governance challenges, a lack of comprehensive development planning, and significant economic and financial constraints. These challenges, compounded by shocks within and beyond its borders, have left local communities increasingly vulnerable. Urban areas, in particular, have been impacted by unplanned growth and large refugee inflows, resulting in higher rates of poverty, food and health insecurity, dwindling resources, and heightened social tensions, among other challenges. Vulnerable populations – including refugees, migrants, economically disadvantaged Lebanese citizens, women, and youth – are disproportionately affected. These pressing issues necessitate urgent action to mitigate insecurities, strengthen local capacities, and enhance access to reliable data for targeted strategies. Such efforts will enable evidence-based, community-driven solutions that foster sustainable and inclusive development for Lebanon’s urban communities.

The overarching goal of the programme is to empower vulnerable local communities to address multisectoral and multidimensional risks by enhancing their access to human security-focused community engagement frameworks. The programme’s objectives include: (i) developing a people-centered, community-led, evidence-based toolkit to identify insecurities and assess the needs and priorities of vulnerable urban communities; (ii) empowering local communities and actively engaging the most vulnerable segments of the population in local decision-making processes, enabling them to become agents of change; and (iii) enhancing the capabilities of national and subnational government officials to engage in community dialogue and institutionalize the human security approach in local development planning.

KEY MATERIALS
Programme Summary