Project in brief Due to their age and heritage, many cities in the Mediterranean basin have historical districts similar to open-air museums and the preservation of these values for future generations is a key issue to be addressed. However, this responsibility should not only concern the conservation of monuments but also the adoption of measures for the protection of the environment, introducing sustainable practices and consequently ensuring the maintenance of the artistic heritage, natural heritage, air quality and biodiversity protection, improving at the same time general social welfare. Among the specific environmental challenges related to medinas and old city centers of the Mediterranean area, waste is a major concern for local authorities due to the requirements for collection and disposal which are different from other urban contexts mainly because of narrow streets. Considering the need to improve waste management in medinas, SMOT project will develop tailored solutions and specific models for five target areas located in Córdoba (Spain), Ragusa (Italy), Sfax (Tunisia), Al-Salt (Jordan) and Alexandria (Egypt). Specific objectives • To develop and test feasible waste management models in five selected old towns/medinas • To foster the transfer of the developed waste management models to historical quarters of the Mediterranean area Expected Results: • Improved waste management policies and strategies through the integration of practices, tools and policies developed during the project with at least 5 policy instruments revised • Strengthened skills of public authorities staff in waste management planning • Improved attitudes of population and institutions (at least 25% in the target medinas) towards the relevance of waste management from the environmental, social and economic perspectives • Reinforced overall environmental protection at Mediterranean Sea Basin level by engaging as many old towns/medinas as possible in the use of sustainable patterns for waste collection and disposal