Instead of illegal landfills, citizens of Klokot/Kllokot in Kosovo enjoy green spaces, playgrounds and a cleaner river as a result of USAID assistance.

The newly established municipality of Klokot/Kllokot had limited financial resources, staff and procedures to provide comprehensive public services. In fact, in 2010, before officials began working with USAID's Democratic Effective Municipalities Initiative, most of the municipality was without public lighting and regular waste collection services. As a result, there were many illegal landfills that negatively affected citizens and businesses. As a primarily rural municipality with relatively poor infrastructure, Klokot/Kllokot worked with USAID to make the most of scarce resources and maximize human capacities. 

USAID worked with municipal staff since 2010 to develop service improvement action plans for public lighting, solid waste collection, and clearing illegal landfills. The actions plans were characterized by an inclusive approach in which municipal authorities and citizens discussed problems, proposed solutions, set targets, and monitored progress. 

“Now garbage is collected regularly, and I don’t have to worry where the collected rubbish will go. In addition, my community is cleaner,” said Arbenita Llapashtica, a citizen of Klokot/Kllokot.

As one of the few municipalities in Kosovo with 100 percent coverage of street lighting, Klokot/Kllokot has remarkably improved public safety, and citizens feel safe walking at night. The public's satisfaction with public lighting has jumped to 88 percent in 2013 from a 35 percent satisfaction rate in 2010. 

Establishment of these services not only creates a better environment for citizens, but is an important foundation for further economic development, specifically mineral water spa tourism—Klokot/Kllokot's main economic activity. In fact, now that residents are staying out later, local businesses have extended their working hours, which is increasing employment. 

The Democratic Effective Municipalities Initiative, which runs from August 2010-August 2013, assists municipal government and officials in Kosovo to strengthen their skills, improve municipal service delivery, increase transparency, and improve cooperation with citizens. In addition, the initiative promotes local economic development.