The Project for the Development of Historic Cities in Yemen (PDHCY) is a German-Yemeni Cooperation Project. It provides technical support to the Yemeni authorities to manage and develop two World Heritage Sites (Shibam and Zabid) in Yemen as well as several other historical cities in the country. Linking heritage conservation to direct economic and social development is the main concept for the project. PDHCY was co-financed by the German Government and the Social Fund for Development for Yemen to engage local communities in preserving their heritage assets and capitalize on them as tools for LED.  

Our experts (pre-LUGARIT) offered the following services for the project:

• Preparing cooperation agreements and cooperation strategies with counterpart organizations such as municipal structures, government agencies, other development projects, and local community centers. 

• Organizing co-financing agreements and funding proposals. 

• Working with local and national authorities, institutions and NGO's to develop project cycle management planning, dispensing small grants and evaluating impacts.

• Supervising the Project’s performance and its technical work including: 

  • Financial tools and incentives for community development programs, heritage conservation and women empowerment. 

  • Heritage conservation projects and plans, including the development of comprehensive conservation plans and management concepts for the two sites.

  • Preparation and implementation of Local Economic Development Plans for Shibam and Zabid and the supervision of prefeasibility study to ensure the sustainability of the conservation work over the long run.

  • Strengthening of local community development initiatives, NGO’s and CBO’s, especially those focused on the role of women in youth in local development and heritage conservation.

  • Integrated urban infrastructure projects. 

  • Decentralization of local government. 

  • Developing institutional competence and interagency networking. 

• Co-authoring the draft law for the preservation of historic cities in Yemen, and organizing national feedback discussions. 

• Developing municipal regulations and compliance in two historical cities.

• Presenting the Project to UNESCO and leading discussions on the status of world heritage sites in Yemen. 

• Developing – with stakeholders - the reporting structure to keep Yemen's heritage assets on the world heritage list. 

• Leading the Project’s planning and budgeting operations. 

• Supervising the design, development, and updates of the Project’s monitoring system.  

• Participating in related GIZ committees, including:

  • The committee to adopt the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) on the local level.

  • The committee to develop impact assessment processes for projects. 

• Leading the Project Team of architects, engineers, social workers, and planners, and managing outsourcing contracts for consultants.

• Organizing platforms for resolving conflict with community elders and civil society activists in the project’s target areas.

• Establishing a financial reporting system to the Project’s co-financiers. 

• Reporting on the Project’s progress to donors.