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Ten Years of Municipal Climate Partnerships

Photo exhibition – A review in 30 photos from 15 countries

To mark the 10th anniversary of the Municipal Climate Partnerships project, the Service Agency invited all climate partnerships involved in the project so far to take part in an international photography competition. From the entries submitted, an album was created with 30 photos from 25 partnerships, and a travelling exhibition was put together that is available on request – take a look at the digital version here.
Congratulations to all the climate partnerships that submitted winning entries, and many thanks to all who participated by sending in photos!

The photographs form an impressive pictorial record that shows how the municipalities are committed to their climate partnerships, how they have collaborated to date, and what the particular successes and challenges were in their joint work.

The Service Agency team was especially impressed by the composition, message, expression, relevance, diversity and technical quality of the photographs submitted by the following climate partnerships:

CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP FRIEDRICHSHAIN-KREUZBERG DISTRICT IN BERLIN (GERMANY) – SAN RAFAEL DEL SUR (NICARAGUA)

A bus, with several people clinging to the outside of the back, drives over a flooded road; very dark clouds can be seen in the sky.
Lack of rainfall is a growing problem in Nicaragua, and is jeopardising people’s basic needs. And then there are sudden deluges. The climate partnership supports measures to promote adaptation to climate change. Photo: Oswaldo Rivas
A man stands in lush greenery and examines a seedling in a plastic bottle.
In San Rafael del Sur, the project partners made the reafforestation of a former limestone extraction site one of the tasks of their climate partnership. Their aim was to re-establish native species diversity. Photo: Oswaldo Rivas
Hands in close-up from above defoliating a small corncob.
Temperatures in Nicaragua have risen by about 0.6°C over the last 30 years. Prolonged dry periods are endangering the population’s food supply. The climate partnership is helping to build climate resilience. Photo: Oswaldo Rivas
A man works with a shovel on a small irrigation ditch from which many hoses lead into a planted field.
Climate change is making more efficient crop irrigation essential. Systems like the one shown here are no longer fit for purpose. The climate partnership therefore supports smallholder families in adapting to climate change. Photo: Oswaldo Rivas

CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP MUNICH (GERMANY) – HARARE (ZIMBABWE)

Some young men are standing in a good mood in front of a bicycle shop.
The climate partnership set itself the goal of making cycling in Harare more popular. And after a lengthy wait, there was this bike shop with a group of cool guys doing up old bikes and selling them – a first glimmer of hope. Photo: Gerhard Gross
In front of a large leveled area, a person in blue work clothes with a green helmet can be seen; in the background, an excavator and trees.
A new bus station was due to be built in 2018 on this site, shown here during the levelling work. There’s now a regular bus service from here to Harare city centre, reducing traffic in the city and the need for innumerable minibuses. Photo: Gerhard Gross

CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP ENZKREIS (GERMANY) – MASASI DISTRICT (TANZANIA)

Several people in red dresses and some with staffs can be seen around a kind of fountain.
In 2017, students at the girls’ boarding school were able to ‘feed’ the school’s biogas plant with cow dung -methane is replacing wood as cooking fuel. The plant was built as part of the climate partnership’s first Nakopa project. Photo: Angela Gewiese
A man with a microphone stands next to an apparatus equipped with light bulbs and speaks to a large crowd around him.
A man in Masasi explaining the advantages of solar technology during breaks in a football match. As part of the climate partnership, solar power plants have been installed at 27 health posts, and technicians have been trained. Photo: Angela Gewiese

10 Years of Municipal Climate Partnerships – Photography competition gallery with all 30 photographs

Standing on a meadow, a group holds their arms up in the air, laughing.
Some people in blue trousers and red tops are working on a green area.
Some men laughingly hold their hands in a stream of water from a fountain; in the background some children watch.
Several people in red dresses and partly with staffs can be seen around a kind of fountain.
A man with a microphone stands next to an apparatus equipped with light bulbs and speaks to a large crowd around him.
Four men are talking to each other, among them the former Lord Mayor of Cologne Jürgen Roters.
A large group poses outside in front of a large white staircase.
Some people spray water on a stage.
A woman on a boat sailing on a small river surrounded by dense forest can be seen from behind. Two solar panels are lying on the boat.
About 12 people stand in a circle and look laughingly into the camera positioned below them.
Various excavators and small vehicles can be seen on a rubbish dump.
Two women plant a tree and smile into the camera.
A bus, with several people clinging to the outside of the back, drives over a flooded road; very dark clouds can be seen in the sky.
A man stands in lush greenery and examines a seedling in a plastic bottle.
Hands in close-up from above defoliating a small corncob.
A man works with a shovel on a small irrigation ditch from which many hoses lead into a planted field
A yellow-blue truck with a drilling attachment can be seen; on the right of the picture a group of people.
Five men are standing around the engineer, who is talking and pointing in one direction; all are wearing orange high-visibility waistcoats.
Nine people smile into the camera; some stand on the back of a pickup truck: some stretch their arms in the air.
Only the crossed hands of many people can be seen.
The tricycle, a kind of covered moped, with several passengers can be seen; the sea is in the background.
Four people pose for the camera in front of the symbol of the German Sustainability Award.
In a large circle of chairs, many children sit and look in one direction.
A blue and white flag on a flagpole surrounded by trees can be seen.
Three women and three men hold environmental education materials up to the camera.
In front of a building and behind a bicycle are some very good-humoured young men.
In front of a large leveled area, a person in blue work clothes with a green helmet can be seen; in the background, an excavator and trees.
Three people are having fun on a road, standing in front of a big tree.
Eight people in yellow high-visibility waistcoats, the woman on the far right with an orange umbrella, look at a man lifting a bag of green compost.
A woman and a man are looking at a mobile phone. In the background, other people can be seen talking at bar tables.
Standing on a meadow, a group holds their arms up in the air, laughing.

Kiel (Germany) – Moshi District (Tanzania)
Miti ya Moshi – mapafu yetu. This is Kiswahili, and means 'trees in Moshi – our lungs'. With this slogan, the first major joint project between Kiel and Moshi District was launched in 2018. Through a Nakopa-funded project, the climate partnership restored the tree nursery in Himo.

Photo: Daniela Roth

Some people in blue trousers and red tops are working on a green area.

Neumarkt (Germany) – Drakenstein (South Africa)
The Berg River is considered the lifeline of Drakenstein Municipality. It serves as an important source of water for the local wine and fruit growing industry, which provides over a third of jobs in Drakenstein. It is also a cornerstone of the region's ecosystem. However, invasive plants are spreading along the riverbank. The Neumarkt-Drakenstein Climate Partnership stopped this trend and, with funding from the Service Agency, cleared the riverbank of invasive species from 2016 to 2019. It also revitalised the ecosystem by planting native species along the riverbank in 2019.

Photo: Riana Geldenhuys

Some men laughingly hold their hands in a stream of water from a fountain; in the background some children watch.

Ludwigsburg (Germany) – Kongoussi (Burkina Faso)
During the last visit to Kongoussi by a delegation from Ludwigsburg as part of the climate partnership in January 2018, the two sides were overjoyed about the wells built in their joint climate project. This partnership arose in 2014 from the trilateral partnership between the oldest German-French partnership –Ludwigsburg and Montbéliard – and Kongoussi.

Photo: Uwe Kalmer

Several people in red dresses and partly with staffs can be seen around a kind of fountain.

Enzkreis (Germany) – Masasi District (Tanzania)
In 2017, students at the girls’ boarding school were able to ‘feed’ the school’s biogas plant with cow dung. To do this, the girls mixed dry cow dung from the boarding school's cowsheds with water in the plant's above-ground slurry tank. When the manure is fermented, methane is formed in the underground dome of the plant. The gas is then fed through a pipeline into the school kitchen, where it is used for cooking instead of firewood. The 50 cubic metre biogas plant was built in 2014 as part of the first Nakopa project of the Enzkreis – Masasi District Climate Partnership.

Photo: Angela Gewiese

A man with a microphone stands next to an apparatus equipped with light bulbs and speaks to a large crowd around him.

Enzkreis (Germany) – Masasi District (Tanzania)
During breaks in a football match in August 2018, a solar technician explained the advantages of solar technology to the spectators. He used a simple demonstration system with a solar module, charge controller, solar battery and two LED lamps as power consumers. Through the climate partnership, solar power systems were built at 27 health stations in Masasi District. Solar technicians were also trained. Since then, they have been advising interested parties on private solar systems, and installing them on huts and houses.

Photo: Angela Gewiese

Four men are talking to each other, among them the former Lord Mayor of Cologne Jürgen Roters.

Cologne (Germany) – Corinto (Nicaragua)
Informal waste collectors, including children, seen here at the irregular waste dump in Corinto in 2016. They are searching for recyclable materials amongst the waste, which is sometimes toxic, without any protective clothing. This year, the climate partners Cologne and Corinto have set themselves the goal of reorganising waste management in Corinto and El Realejo. Many of the former waste collectors are now involved in the orderly separation of waste. They have been able to increase their income, and the amount of material for recycling has increased.

Photo: Städtepartnerschaftsverein Köln-Corinto e.V.

A large group poses outside in front of a large white staircase.

Bonn (Germany) – Cape Coast (Ghana)
In April 2012, the first official delegation from Bonn travelled to their Ghanaian twin city, Cape Coast. The highlight of the visit was the ceremonial signing of the partnership agreement, which officially sealed the climate partnership between the two cities. Bonn and Cape Coast were two of the first cities to participate in the 'Municipal Climate Partnerships' programme, and together launched the first Service Agency-funded FKKP project in 2012.

Photo: Stefan Wagner / Bundesstadt Bonn

Some people spray water on a stage.

Bonn (Germany) – La Paz (Bolivia)
In November 2017, the play 'Water/Agua' was performed for the first time at the Marabu Theatre in Bonn. The occasion for this project between Bonn and La Paz was the 23rd Climate Change Conference in Bonn, and the 15th anniversary of the project partnership between the two twin cities.

Photo: Ursula Kaufmann

A woman on a boat sailing on a small river surrounded by dense forest can be seen from behind. Two solar panels are lying on the boat.

Nuremberg (Germany) – San Carlos (Nicaragua)
The region of Los Guatuzos in the south of Nicaragua is remote, and cut off from the public electricity grid. Schools can sometimes only be reached by boat or horse. As part of the climate partnership between San Carlos and Nuremberg, in 2012 the Nuremberg regional section of the non-governmental organisation 'Engineers without Borders' installed seven photovoltaic systems on school roofs in the region. The Engineers without Borders team travelled by boat to the villages, where the systems have since provided electricity for lighting, and teaching materials such as CD players.

Photo: Armando Gomez

About 12 people stand in a circle and look laughingly into the camera positioned below them.

Bremen (Germany) – Durban (South Africa)
The city and climate partnership between Bremen and Durban, which has existed since 2011, thrives not only on the exchange of local government experts, but also on civil society involvement, for example in youth and sports exchanges. In 2013, a delegation from Bremen visited the iSithumba Sportsgarden together with colleagues from the Durban city administration, and young people from Bremen who were working as weltwärts volunteers in Durban.

Photo: Michael Werbeck, Freie Hansestadt Bremen

Various excavators and small vehicles can be seen on a rubbish dump.

Neu-Isenburg (Germany) – Kwadaso (Ghana)
The traditional waste disposal plant for the Greater Kumasi area is reminiscent of the waste disposal practices seen in Neu-Isenburg in Offenbach District in the 1960s. Waste collection is organised by private individuals, who make a living out of it. However, the days of this kind of waste disposal are numbered here. Large halls are being built on a wasteland site in Greater Kumasi, where the garbage will be sorted and later recycled. All the neighbouring communities in Greater Kumasi, such as Kwadaso, will also benefit from this modern method.

Photo: Josef Weidner

Two women plant a tree and smile into the camera.

Bremen (Germany) – Windhoek (Namibia)
Kathrin Witte from the Bremen City Cleansing Department (left), and Johanna Reimers from the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (right), are seen here planting a tree in Kouga in South Africa at the results workshop of the 6th phase of the 'Municipal Climate Partnerships' project in 2019. 'A new seedling' emerged for the long-standing friendship between the cities of Bremen and Windhoek: their joint engagement in the climate partnership to fight climate change and improve the lives of citizens in both cities. Several concrete projects have since grown from this, tackling for instance sustainable waste and wastewater management.

Photo: Prof. Dr. Martin Wittmaier, Hochschule Bremen

A bus, with several people clinging to the outside of the back, drives over a flooded road; very dark clouds can be seen in the sky.

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg District of Berlin (Germany) – San Rafael del Sur (Nicaragua)
The impacts of climate change on food and nutrition security are already dramatic in Nicaragua. More and more often the rains are not coming, and fields are drying up. Then suddenly there are catastrophic cloudbursts that destroy the harvests. Small farmers in particular are then forced to buy in foodstuffs such as rice, wheat, maize and soya, which they can barely afford due to the rising prices on the world market. The climate partnership between the Berlin District of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and San Rafael del Sur is promoting various measures for adaptation to climate change.

Photo: Oswaldo Rivas

A man stands in lush greenery and examines a seedling in a plastic bottle.

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg District of Berlin (Germany) – San Rafael del Sur (Nicaragua)
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and San Rafael del Sur had made it a task of their climate partnership for 2017 to 2020 to reafforest a former limestone mining area in the municipality of San Rafael del Sur. In doing so, they hoped to restore native species diversity. The reserve is also home to a municipal tree nursery where tree seedlings are prepared for reafforestation. Furthermore, a breeding station for green iguanas has been established in the reserve. Their habitat in the region is threatened, and the station plans to release some 300 animals in the reserve every year in order to preserve their species.

Photo: Oswaldo Rivas

Hands in close-up from above defoliating a small corncob.

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg District of Berlin (Germany) – San Rafael del Sur (Nicaragua)
Temperatures in Nicaragua have risen by about 0.6°C over the last 30 years. Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, prolonged droughts and a shift in seasonal weather patterns are threatening harvests, and thus the population's food supply. San Rafael del Sur is suffering from these extreme climatic events. The climate partnership is helping to improve the local climate and thus build climate resilience.

Photo: Oswaldo Rivas

A man works with a shovel on a small irrigation ditch from which many hoses lead into a planted field

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg District of Berlin (Germany) – San Rafael del Sur (Nicaragua)
When it rains less due to climate change, small farmers in San Rafael del Sur have to irrigate their fields, where they grow Xanthosoma for example, more efficiently. Systems like the one shown here are no match for climate change. The town twinning association and the Centre for Rural Development (CEDRU) as a local partner are therefore supporting small farming families in adapting their irrigation schemes to climate change. Storing and using rainwater, and the installation of drip irrigation systems, play a key role in this.

Photo: Oswaldo Rivas

A yellow-blue truck with a drilling attachment can be seen; on the right of the picture a group of people.

Gersthofen (Germany) – Baringo County (Kenya)
Water supply, drinking water treatment and renewable energy were key topics of the climate partnership between Gersthofen in Germany and Baringo County in Kenya. During a visit to Baringo in 2019, a delegation from Gersthofen visited facilities for groundwater extraction, drinking water treatment and drinking water distribution. The visitors held technical discussions on well construction with the responsible engineers on site. The team also drove far out into the countryside to inspect the current well drilling work.

Photo: Markus Tittel

Five men are standing around the engineer, who is talking and pointing in one direction; all are wearing orange high-visibility waistcoats.

Tübingen (Germany) – Moshi (Tanzania)
Engineer Viane Kombe from Moshi Municipal Council showing project engineer Florian Kölsch (left) and other delegates from Tübingen the construction site for the composting plant built in Moshi from 2018 to 2020 as part of the Tübingen-Moshi Climate Partnership. The plant is one of the first composting plants in Tanzania, and has also received plenty of attention in the national media. It is operated by Moshi Municipality, and is able to cover its costs from sale of the compost.

Photo: Stephan Klingebiel

Nine people smile into the camera; some stand on the back of a pickup truck: some stretch their arms in the air.

Ilsfeld (Germany) –- Kouga (South Africa)
Prolonged droughts are causing problems for farmers in Kouga. To cultivate citrus fruits and cereals and for dairy farming, the farmers need a lot of water, but in 2019 they could only draw 20 per cent of their annual water requirement from the Kouga Dam. The climate partnership between Ilsfeld and Kouga is therefore dedicated to rainwater harvesting techniques, and the recycling of industrial water for crop irrigation. A delegation from Ilsfeld visited the treatment plant in Jeffreys Bay in February 2018. Together with their South African partners they discussed options for irrigation with service water.

Photo: Klimapartnerschaft Ilsfeld- Kouga

Only the crossed hands of many people can be seen.

Osterode am Harz (Germany) – Kaolack (Senegal)
Hand in hand for One World – In January 2018, young people from Senegal and adults from Osterode am Harz met in the schoolyard of the Lycée Valdiodio Ndiaye in Kaolack. The delegation had just taken a look at a sustainable education project, and then met more curious young people in front of the school building. Every year, groups of school students from both countries work together on topics related to the 2030 Agenda. Suddenly, many adults from faraway Germany were also here as part of the climate partnership. Equality, mutual appreciation, shared responsibility for our One World and youth participation – with these values, teachers Elhadj Diouf and Tobias Rusteberg launched a bridge between Sine-Saloum and Harzvorland in 2012.

Photo: Sabine Becker

The tricycle, a kind of covered moped, with several passengers can be seen; the sea is in the background.

Ebhausen (Germany) – Lubang (Philippines)
On the island of Cabra there are no cars, and there are only narrow roads, which are not always paved. If you don't want to walk or take a cattle truck, there are only tricycles – a typical Filipino means of transportation. For the delegation from Ebhausen, who visited their partners in Lubang for the first time in 2017, riding on a tricycle was breaking new ground. But it did help them to better understand the situation on the ground. This is because not all inhabitants of the island have such a vehicle. Yet they all have to come to the central rainwater collection point and take water supplies for the day. The delegates were thus able to see the real problem that people faced. This provided them with a basis for planning the envisaged project 'Pump-operated drinking water supply powered by renewables'.

Photo: Gemeinde Ebhausen

Four people pose for the camera in front of the symbol of the German Sustainability Award.

Wernigerode (Germany) – Hoi An (Viet Nam)
Tran Van Nhan from Hoi An, Katrin Anders (Wernigerode City Council), Lord Mayor Peter Gaffert and Huong Trute, initiator of the city-to-city partnership (from left to right), were delighted in December 2017 to receive the German Sustainability Award 2018 for their municipal partnership. In cooperation with the German Government, the award honours excellence in sustainability in the realms of business, local governance and research. Wernigerode and Hoi An were awarded their prize in the category 'Municipal Partnerships'. As part of the prize, each of the twin cities received 30,000 euros to implement joint projects.

Photo: Jochen Rolfes

In a large circle of chairs, many children sit and look in one direction.

Karlsruhe District (Germany) – Brusque (Brazil)
At their first meeting on more sustainable lifestyles in April 2017, children in the Brazilian city of Brusque each wrote down in a letter what they expected from the upcoming environmental education project. It wasn't until the end of the project that the letters were opened again and the children realised that they had learned much more than mere facts about plants and animals. All this knowledge, respect for classmates and respect for nature were a great way for the children to change their attitudes at home and at school. Environmental education is a cornerstone of the climate partnership between the Brazilian City of Brusque and Karlsruhe District in Germany.

Photo: Cristiano Olinger

A blue and white flag on a flagpole surrounded by trees can be seen.

Herford District (Germany) – Condega (Nicaragua)
During an excursion in 2019, the Herford delegation of the climate partnership with Condega in Nicaragua wanted to familiarise themselves with the water supply situation in the village communities of Condega. Most of these villages are remote, and situated at high altitudes. The journey there on the back of a truck led over unpaved roads up the mountains. Once at the top, the delegation spotted the Nicaraguan flag at the local primary school, like a ceremonial welcome. The flag symbolises what is at the heart of the climate partnership: encounter, respect and cooperation.

Photo: Dorothea Streich

Three women and three men hold environmental education materials up to the camera.

Lahr (Germany) – Alajuela (Costa Rica)
They are light blue and cheerful, and their names are Go-Tica and Tröpfi. They are the main characters in the German-Spanish materials for environmental education practitioners, developed in the municipal climate partnership between Lahr and Alajuela. The stories of the two water drops are an ideal introduction to the topics of water, biological diversity, the forest ecosystem and climate change. Kindergartens, schools and environmental education centres in Costa Rica and Germany are using the bilingual book and other materials in education for sustainable development. These materials raise awareness of the impact we humans have on our world, and provide guidance on sustainable and responsible action.

Photo: Susana Méndez, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica

In front of a building and behind a bicycle are some very good-humoured young men.

Munich (Germany) – Harare (Zimbabwe)
In 2019, a delegation from Munich spent a whole week with their hosts in Harare, looking out for cyclists. What they saw was, at most, just the odd person on a bike here and there. Yet the climate partnership between Munich and Harare was supposed to be popularising cycling with a project to promote sustainable mobility! And then, at last, this bike shop appeared in Harare's suburb of Epworth, with a group of cool guys doing up old bikes and selling them – a first glimmer of hope.

Photo: Gerhard Gross

In front of a large leveled area, a person in blue work clothes with a green helmet can be seen; in the background, an excavator and trees.

Munich (Germany) – Harare (Zimbabwe)
A new bus station was due to be built in 2018 on this site, shown here during the levelling work. There’s now a regular bus service from here to Harare city centre, reducing traffic in the city and the need for innumerable minibuses that clog up the roads. The bus station is an infrastructure measure to improve public transport in Harare. It is also a component of the joint programme of the Munich-Harare Climate Partnership to promote sustainable mobility in Zimbabwe's capital.

Photo: Gerhard Gross

Three people are having fun on a road, standing in front of a big tree.

Bad Berleburg (Germany) – Morogoro District (Tanzania)
In March 2020, just in time before the COVID-19 travel restrictions took effect, a delegation from Morogoro District travelled to Bad Berleburg. On the short car ride from the train station through the Rothaar Mountains, some snow took them by surprise. Of course, they made an unscheduled stop, which ended in an even more unscheduled snowball fight. Among the participants were Mayor Kibena N. Kingo (centre), the project coordinator January Njoozi (left) and the project coordinator Sofia S. Kingwahi (right). This first joint activity served as an icebreaker in the truest sense of the word. The foundation was laid for an instructive, exciting and productive week, during which fun and togetherness were not neglected.

Photo: Ines Wünnemann

Eight people in yellow high-visibility waistcoats, the woman on the far right with an orange umbrella, look at a man lifting a bag of green compost.

Münster (Germany) – Monastir (Tunisia)
In 2019, a delegation from Monastir visited Münster. The visit coincided with the jubilee celebration of the two municipalities' city-to-city partnership, which was a good opportunity to promote the climate partnership. During their visit to the Münster Waste Management Utility (AWM), the partners toured the recycling yard at the waste management centre, the landfill nature trail there, the composting plant for green waste, the organic waste treatment plant and the sorting plant for residual waste on the site. The Head of AWM, Patrick Hasenkamp (2nd from right), is seen here showing the guests from Monastir the green compost from Münster. This is produced directly from the city's green waste.

Photo: Amt für Kommunikation der Stadt Münster (Heiner Witte, Münster View)

A woman and a man are looking at a mobile phone. In the background, other people can be seen talking at bar tables.

Ludwigsburg (Germany) – Ambato (Ecuador)
A 16-member delegation from Ludwigsburg travelled to Ambato in June 2019. The twelve young people and four adults stayed with families in Ambato, and took part in school lessons, amongst other things. Through the climate partnership, forward-looking projects such as '1,000 trees for Ambato – 100 bee pastures for Ludwigsburg' have been initiated. During the visit to Ambato, the climate partners jointly planted 440 native trees in municipal parks. Furthermore, insect-friendly bee pastures were planted on municipal and private land in Ludwigsburg. The project is thus contributing to biodiversity and intercultural exchange alike.

Photo: Siegfried Rapp