Under the patronage of his Excellency Dr. Beshr Alsabban the governor of Damascus, the German Technical Cooperation gtz project of "the rehabilitation of the old city of Damascus" holds a workshop on the efficient use of energy and renewable energy in the old city of Damascus on the 17th and 18th of December 2008 at Rhida Saeid hall in Damascus.
The workshop comes within the context of increasing fuel prices, and the effect it bears on the expenditure of the families in the old city and the rest of the Syrian nation. Researchers in renewable energy and alternative energy believe that reducing the demand on energy in both housing and commercial parts of the old city can contribute to saving the expenses these families allocate for different types of fuel, this saving will hopefully lead into a better financial situation of these families.
The workshop will bring up the international urban energy problematic, with allot of emphasis on the Syrian Arab republic, then it will move into discussing the specific needs of the old city, after that, the participants will have a collection of international urban experiences, followed by the most important part of the workshop; which is setting a vision, analyzing strengths and weaknesses and coming out with recommended strategies for the efficient use of energy and renewable energy in the old city of Damascus.
The rehabilitation of the old city project is part of the program for sustainable urban development program, that is implemented in cooperation between the Syrian ministry of local administration and environment and the German Technical cooperation gtz, and it concentrates on developing urban planning and development approaches in Syria on both the central and local levels.
Since the program for sustainable urban development is very keen on assisting the Syrian authorities in improving the living conditions of the old city inhabitants, it has allocated a special component of its project in the old city for renewable energy. The component is working with the directorate of the old city on developing suitable energy solutions and providing free energy consultancy for the inhabitants.