The innovative Green Corridor project is part of a broader process developed between UNDP and the Municipality of Obiliq, through close collaboration with municipal technical staff and local stakeholders.

Within this process, a portfolio of interlinked double-transition interventions has been identified, combining nature-based solutions, green technologies, and digital tools, planned for implementation during the 2026–2027 period.

Through UNDP’s City Experiment Fund, a strategic partnership has been established with the Municipality of Obiliq to address air pollution as a complex urban challenge.

Green Corridor serves as a demonstration intervention, supporting the municipality in designing, testing, and improving integrated solutions, with potential for scaling and replication in other urban areas.

The mayor of Obiliq, Halil Thaçi, was present at the event and emphasized the importance of improving air quality and citizens’ daily lives.

“Thank you to everyone who participated in this activity and helped make the citizens’ dream of a cleaner environment in the Municipality of Obiliq a reality. I invite all international organizations to help us achieve cleaner air for the citizens of Obiliq. Dudley is helping us with these trees for our environment. I want to take this opportunity to call on the citizens of our municipality to protect the environment. The trees we are planting, and I expect that by 2026 we will award the title of Best Environmental Citizen of the Municipality of Obiliq, with a reward from the municipality. This is a project or donation from UNDP and the Ministry of Finance of Slovakia,” said Thaçi.

Dudley Tarlton, UNDP’s Deputy Resident Representative in Kosovo, described the Green Corridor project as important.

“I am pleased to be here today, especially considering that we also have a group of young people involved, including local community engagement. The mayor’s commitment was key to this activity. We also thank the Slovak Government for this support. Considering that I have previously worked in the health sector, it is worth noting that being close to trees is healthy, and I look forward to seeing Obiliq become known for green projects. Our project involves such experimentation, and we want to see similar projects in other localities as well,” said Tarlton.

Ermal Ismajli, a student at “17 Shkurti” School in Obiliq, expressed his support for the initiative, highlighting the importance of projects that make the city healthier for the community, as reported by KosovaPress.

“I am very impressed by the initiative taken by this organization, as well as by the mayor, who is very cooperative with projects aimed at making our Obiliq greener. I hope this serves as a lesson for us and everyone, as the world truly needs to be greener. The location chosen is also very beautiful, and near the power plant it will have a tremendous positive impact on our health, for the children and for everyone,” said Ismajli.

The City Experiment Fund, part of the Slovak Transformation Fund and supported by the Slovak Ministry of Finance, is a regional initiative including Obiliq and 10 other cities in the region. The project promotes a portfolio approach, aiming to build municipal capacities for integrating the double transition—green and digital—into urban planning and development, contributing to healthier and more resilient cities.

UNDP supports the Municipality of Obiliq in moving from planning to implementation through experimentation, innovation, and partnerships, aiming to create long-term and sustainable impact at the municipal level, KosovaPress reports.