ICLEI South Asia - December 2019

ICLEI South Asia E-News

December 2019

Emani Kumar
Deputy Secretary General, ICLEI and Executive Director, ICLEI South Asia

Greetings readers!

As the annual UN Climate Conference or COP25 winds down in Madrid, I am happy to say that we took this window of opportunity and hosted several side events to showcase best practices in urban development from across the world. The side events highlighted key successes in climate-resilient actions in cities worldwide, the role of women and marginalised communities in climate action; and advancing climate change goals through multi-level governance and green cities. ICLEI also actively participated in several key sessions that covered issues such as de-carbonisation and Sustainable Development Goals localisation, and the role of local governments in Nationally Determined Contributions implementation. We promise to provide detailed information about our COP25 activities in our next edition.

In November too, ICLEI South Asia was humming with energy as it proved to be a month of workshops and trainings. We successfully organised a workshop under the International Development Research Centre-supported Integrated Rural Urban Water Management for Climate based Adaptations in Indian cities (IAdapt) project. Stakeholders and experts shared their experiences on implementing the project, and spoke about innovative methods of raising funds and the way forward.

In addition, a two-day regional workshop under the Climate Development and Knowledge Network (CDKN) programme provided training to representatives from local governments, training institutes and organisations in areas like climate resilience planning and gender and social inclusion. We also participated in a roundtable dialogue on climate-resilient cities in India under the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation-supported CapaCITIES project. Representatives from several cities and states expressed their views and expectations on implementing climate actions and the challenges in securing funding support.

Classroom sessions and field visits were the highlights of a National Outreach Event in Dehradun, which focused on urban biodiversity, laws and legislations and nature-based solutions, as part of the INTERACT-Bio project supported by Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

I hope you enjoy reading these updates.

CDKN Workshop Underlines Importance of Knowledge Brokering on Climate

The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), Asia conducted a two-day regional training workshop in New Delhi, India. The objective was to engage with and provide training to local governments, training institutes and organisations on the concepts and processes of climate resilience planning, circular economy, gender and social inclusion, and climate finance based on training modules developed by CDKN and ICLEI South Asia. It also helped to encourage requests for further similar trainings from Nepal, Bangladesh and India.

Regional Conference Highlights IAdapt Project Takeaways

An international conference was organised under the Integrated Rural Urban Water Management for Climate-Based Adaptations in Indian Cities (IAdapt) project – supported by the International Development and Research Centre (IDRC) in New Delhi. The purpose of the event was to share valuable learning experiences from the two project cities – Solapur in Maharashtra and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, and to showcase the success achieved under the project.

Singra E-Mobility Project Sets the Pace for Climate Action in Bangladesh

Singra Municipality, a small city in Bangladesh, has set an example in climate action for the country and the globe to follow. It has successfully implemented a project on Promoting E-Rickshaw as a Public Transport and Emergency Health Supporting Services, supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany, and in collaboration with GIZ and ICLEI South Asia. As part of the project, eight e-rickshaws and two e-ambulances were launched in Singra.

Roundtable Calls for Systems Approach to Promote Climate Action

The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) organised and hosted a Roundtable Dialogue on Climate Resilient Cities in India, under the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation-supported CapaCITIES project in New Delhi. ICLEI South Asia is part of the implementing consortium of the project, along with South Pole and econcept. The purpose of the meeting was to identify partnerships and actionable outcomes towards climate¬-resilient urban development.

Expert Meeting Identifies Focus Areas for Kochi’s LBSAP

ICLEI South Asia is developing the Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (LBSAP) for Kochi under the INTERACT-Bio: Integrated Sub-national Action for Biodiversity project supported by Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). In this regard, a meeting of the technical working group, comprising experts, was held in Kochi to identify the health of the ecosystems in the city, formulate the vision statement and prioritise the National Biodiversity Targets for the LBSAP.

National Meeting Analyses Low-Carbon Urban Freight Initiatives, Strategies

A national meeting for EcoLogistics - Low Carbon Freight for Sustainable Cities was organised in New Delhi. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Low Carbon Urban Freight Action Plans for Indian cities, acknowledge the good initiatives in the sector, explore opportunities for collaboration between stakeholders (national and city governments, and private stakeholders) and to decide the future course of action to promote sustainable urban freight in Indian cities.

INTERACT-Bio Event Spotlights Urban Biodiversity Issues

A two-day National Outreach Event on Urban Biodiversity was organised in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, as part of the INTERACT-Bio project, which is supported by BMU. The event was attended by leaders and officials from 25 cities and three state biodiversity boards, and a representative from the National Biodiversity Authority.

Workshop Discusses Study of Urban Food Systems in Asia

ICLEI South Asia and Pune Municipal Corporation jointly organised a workshop on a study of Urban Food Systems, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) and World Bank (WB) in Pune. The UN’s FAO and WB are conducting an urban food study across 300 selected cities in the Asia-Pacific region, in which they wish to receive responses from government officials, institutes, NGOs, food markets and consumers on urban policies and regulations that effect food provisions and other interventions. ICLEI South Asia is the implementing partner and is conducting this survey across 30 cities in India, six cities in Sri Lanka and three cities in the Maldives.

Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling: A Cross-Sector Challenge in Hyderabad

The second Stakeholder Consultation Workshop for developing the Holistic Strategy and Action Plan for Plastic Waste Management in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation was held in Hyderabad. The discussions focused on reducing plastic consumption by promoting commercially available and affordable alternatives to single-use plastics.

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 be held for the ninth time from the 30^th of September to the 2^nd of October 2020 in Mannheim, Germany. The conference will demonstrate the urgent need for local governments to assume responsibility for urban transformation and lead the way in guiding Europe towards a secure and sustainable future.

ICLEI South Asia E-News

December 2019

CDKN Workshop Underlines Importance of Knowledge Brokering on Climate

Regional Conference Highlights IAdapt Project Takeaways

Singra E-Mobility Project Sets the Pace for Climate Action in Bangladesh

Roundtable Calls for Systems Approach to Promote Climate Action

Expert Meeting Identifies Focus Areas for Kochi’s LBSAP

National Meeting Analyses Low-Carbon Urban Freight Initiatives, Strategies

INTERACT-Bio Event Spotlights Urban Biodiversity Issues

Workshop Discusses Study of Urban Food Systems in Asia

Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling: A Cross-Sector Challenge in Hyderabad

European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns

ICLEI South Asia Secretariat

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