Europe Tour Inspires Climate-Smart Vision in Urban-LEDS II Cities

A study tour to Europe was organised under the Urban-LEDS II - Accelerating climate action through the promotion of Urban Low Emission Development Strategies project. Participants from 18 countries visited three leading European cities that are part of the Urban-LEDS network. They got an opportunity to explore how these cities were taking ambitious climate action through a wide range of solutions in several sectors, such as wastewater treatment and energy efficiency in buildings.

Resilient Cities Concludes with a Firm No to Unsustainable Development

ICLEI South Asia participated in the 10^th Global Forum on Urban Resilience and Adaptation, organised by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability in Bonn, Germany. ICLEI GexCom member Kinlay Dorjee, Mayor, Thimphu Municipality, Bhutan, represented South Asia at the Congress. The South Asia Secretariat was part of three sessions -- The Urban Nexus: Tool to Localize and Deliver Global Agendas; Incorporating Gender Considerations into Climate Resilient Planning and Implementation: Lessons from Southern Cities; and Tackling Complex Urban Challenges: The Role for Collaboration.

PROMISE Impact: Stakeholders Call for Connecting Rural, Urban Futures

The second national exchange workshop under the PROMotion of Inclusive, Sustainable Growth and Diversity to Strengthen Local Governments (PROMISE) project was organised in Jabalpur. The workshop aimed to disseminate the experiences and lessons learnt as part of the project in all four partner cities: Jabalpur, Karnal, Ajmer and Warangal. The event included step-by-step demonstration and guidance in the use of the PROMISE tool, along with discussions over replicability and scalability of the project initiatives.

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Himalayan Project Begins Participatory Landscape-Level Mapping

Detailed field studies have begun in the Lahaul landscape, Himachal Pradesh, under the UNDP-supported SECURE Himalaya project. The objective of the exercise is to understand people’s dependence on forests for livelihood, the impact of climate change and the people’s perception of the issue of degradation and its consequences. The project team has carried out focus group discussions in Udaipur, Urgos, Tindi and Khanjar villages in the Lahaul landscape.

Kochi Workshop Weighs Sustainable
Urban Freight Logistics

A two-day capacity building workshop on sustainable urban freight management was organised in Kochi. National and international freight experts presented sector-specific learnings and strategies, as well as good practices from developed and developing countries at the workshop. Besides technical presentations, there was brainstorming on sustainable urban freight management strategies in Kochi and on the way forward under the EcoLogistics project.

Urban95 Set to Give Udaipur a
Child-Friendly Makeover

The Urban95 programme was launched in Udaipur recently. The initiative is meant to make a lasting impact on the urban landscape, and provide opportunities that can shape the crucial first five years of children’s lives. ICLEI South Asia is implementing the programme in partnership with the Bernard Van Leer Foundation, with support from the Udaipur Municipal Corporation. A day-long workshop was held to mark the launch and to share the insights gained with regard to the programme in the context of Udaipur.

Korean Experts Study Himachal’s Waste Management Issues

An ICLEI South Asia team along with experts from the Korean Environmental Corporation and the University of Seoul visited the Kullu-Manali-Solang and Dharamshala-Triund regions of Himachal Pradesh. The visit was conducted under the aegis of the Supporting the Development of Sustainable Solid Waste Management Strategies for the Mountainous Regions of Pakistan, India and Nepal project. The primary objective of the visit was to gather information on current waste management systems in these cities and to understand the associated challenges.

Urban-LEDS II Builds on Phase 1
Synergies, Successes

The Urban-LEDS II project, which is being implemented in the 2017-21 period, takes forward the work of Urban-LEDS I, which was conducted in Brazil, India, Indonesia and South Africa. A National Project Advisory Group (PAG) is being established in each Urban-LEDS II country to support its effective implementation. It will bring together relevant stakeholders as an expert group that provides practical and strategic advice to the country project team. The first PAG meeting was held in New Delhi to apprise the members about the global Urban LEDS II programme, and to give them an overview of the project in India.

Gender Equity in Climate Finance –
Why Does it Matter?

Aditi Paul, CDKN Asia and ICLEI South Asia, argues that climate finance provides too good an opportunity to miss, as a vehicle for advancing women’s wellbeing and development and righting some of the deep gender inequalities in society. She recommends how the design, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of climate finance projects could be improved to help achieve gender equity goals.

9^th European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns

Hosted by the City of Mannheim, and ICLEI Europe, the European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns will open its doors for the ninth time from 30^th of September to 2^nd of October, 2020, in Mannheim, Germany. The conference will emphasise the urgent need for local governments to assume responsibility for urban transformation and to lead the way in guiding Europe towards a secure and sustainable future.