ICLEI South Asia - December 2017

ICLEI South Asia E-News

December 2017

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

Greetings!

November has been a very busy month for us. We have made significant progress in all the cities in the CapaCITIES project which is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). At source segregation of waste has been initiated in two wards in Udaipur, water leak detection study in Zone 1 in Siliguri and visit of international and national transport experts for situation analysis in Rajkot, Udaipur and Siliguri has been undertaken.

ICLEI South Asia, ICLEI South East Asia and ICLEI East Asia, as the Asia LEDS Partnership Secretariat, organised a session on 'NDC Implementation in Asia' at the Cities & Regions Pavilion in the recently concluded COP23 in Bonn, Germany which was well received. The session covered topics like the role of the LEDS Global Partnership, Asia LEDS Partnership, and low carbon development among others.

ICLEI South Asia team also visited China for Sino-Indian collaboration on environmental technologies and industry exchange where delegates were involved in various workshops and site visits. The group was invited by the Foreign Economic Cooperation Office and Ministry of Environmental Protection of China.

We have also started on-ground activities under the Promotion of Inclusive, Sustainable Growth and Diversity to Strengthen Local Governments (PROMISE) project in two cities - Karnal and Ajmer. Sector specific surveys are being conducted in the cities, with Karnal focusing on public transport, and Ajmer focusing on solid waste management.

Like always, we have tried to bring different perspectives on issues that concern our readers through the blogs. Do read them and share your feedback with us.

Read on to know more about our activities from last month.

The District Energy in Cities Initiative in India Moves to the Next Phase

A workshop was organised by the UN Environment, Energy Efficiency Services Limited, Global Environment Facility, and ICLEI South Asia in New Delhi on the 2nd of November. The intent of the workshop was to present the results of the city assessments, announce the selection of the pilot city for further feasibility assessment, and launch the next phase of the initiative's activities in India. The workshop brought together representatives from national and local governments in India as well as national and international experts from district cooling project developers, private sector firms, financing institutions, donor agencies including the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, International Finance Corporation, National Institute of Solar Energy, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy , Empower, Danfoss, Thermax, and Tabreed (National Central Cooling Company PJSC) among others.

Source Segregation Initiated Successfully in Two Wards in Udaipur under the CapaCITIES Project

As a part of the CapaCITIES project, supported by the SDC, ICLEI South Asia, along with other partners, initiated source segregation of waste in two wards on a pilot scale (Ward No. 1 and Ward No. 41) in Udaipur. In a bid to sustainably manage municipal solid waste in the city, Udaipur Municipal Corporation (UMC) aims to introduce and institutionalise the process of collection and transportation of segregated waste in the city to meet the provisions of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and also the larger goals of the Swachh Bharat Mission. The initiative, undertaken by the CapaCITIES team along with the health department of UMC, will also reduce GHG emissions from waste disposal.

Water Leak Detection in Zone 1 in Siliguri under the CapaCITIES Project

A study on water leak detection study has been taken up in Zone 1 in the city of Siliguri, through CapaCITIES project. Zone 1 comprises of ward numbers 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and part of 15 and covers an area of 2.07 km². The study is being carried out by experts from Taisei Technical Services Private Limited, the identified consulting firm for this assignment.

Session on NDC Implementation in Asia at Cities & Regions Pavilion, COP23 - Bonn

ICLEI South Asia, ICLEI South East Asia and ICLEI East Asia in their capacity as the Asia LEDS Partnership (ALP) Secretariat organised a session on 'NDC implementation in Asia' on the 11th of November, 2017 at Cities & Regions Pavilion, COP23 - Bonn. Mr. Emani Kumar, Deputy Secretary General of ICLEI Global and Executive Director, ICLEI South Asia, Ms. Soumya Chaturvedula, Deputy Director, ICLEI South Asia, Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Bangladesh and former Minister of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Bangladesh, Ms. Sandee Recabar, Planning Officer V and Chief, Implementation Oversight Division, Climate Change Commission, Government of Philippines, YAB Datuk Seri Utama Ir. Hj. Idris bin Hj. Haron, Chief Minister of Melaka, Malaysia, Ms. Nanda Jichkar, Mayor of Nagpur, india, Mr. Ron Benioff, Director of LEDS Global Partnership were the speakers in the session.

ICLEI South Asia Visits China for Sino-Indian Collaboration on Environmental Technologies and Industry Exchange

ICLEI South Asia, along with the representatives from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&LS), Paradigm Environmental Strategies Pvt. Ltd and the Mayor of Gwalior City – Mr. Vivek Narayan Shejwalkar, visited China for Sino-Indian collaboration on environmental technologies and industry exchange. During the visit, the delegates attended a workshop on Sino-Indian environmental protection technology and industry exchange. They also met with China Environment Service Industry Association and the administrative committee of China Yixing Industrial Park for Environmental Science and Technology. Site visits were organised to Qinghe No.2 water treatment plant and Yixing Industrial Park for Environmental Science and Technology.

ICLEI South Asia Starts On-Ground Activities under PROMISE Project

As a part of our on-ground activities under the PROMISE project, ICLEI South Asia has initiated sector specific surveys in two of the project cities - Karnal and Ajmer. Surveys in Karnal are focusing on the condition of public transport, intermediate public transport, non-motorised transport, parking, intelligent transport system, existing public bicycle sharing scheme and intermodal transport in the city. The survey assesses the opinion of the citizens on the environmental issues due to transport, safety and security related to mobility sector in Karnal. The surveys in Ajmer focus on the solid waste management sector and the concerns related to geographical coverage, efficiency of waste collection, segregation, waste recovery, scientific disposal of waste, cost recovery and complaint redressal for this sector.

Support offered by ICLEI South Asia in Udaipur and Ludhiana under Shakti Smart Cities

ICLEI South Asia under the project “Supporting Sustainable Urban Transport and Built Environment in Four Smart Cities in India” is assisting Udaipur Municipal Corporation in various activities like introducing a Public Bike Sharing (PBS) scheme in the city, developing smart Janpath road and intersection improvement of Kumharon ka Bhatta. Our team discussed the PBS details for Udaipur. In addition, ICLEI South Asia along with EPTISA - the PMC for Smart City projects, is assisting Municipal Corporation Udaipur in improving and developing the Sukher- Amberi Road into a world class smart road.

International and National Transport Experts Visit CapaCITIES Project Cities

An introductory meeting was held at the ICLEI South Asia office in New Delhi on the 16th of November, 2017. ICLEI South Asia staff discussed the CapaCITIES project and transport projects planned in Rajkot, Udaipur and Siliguri. The meeting was followed by Mr. Nicolas Muhlich's, from SNZ Engineers and Planners AG, visit to Rajkot, Udaipur and Siliguri for an initial assessment of the transportation projects. The purpose was to understand the existing public transportation infrastructure in these cities. This study in Rajkot focuses on extending the existing BRTS network and deployment of all electric buses. In Udaipur, the focus is on understanding the existing Intermediate Para Transit system. In Siliguri, the focus is on understanding the traffic situation in the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Planning area and look into the feasibility of development of a mass rail based transport system.

Rising Temperatures and Social Unrest

The impact of climate change on social unrest is a domain that needs to be thoroughly looked into. Extreme weather events will put food markets under serious strain triggering riots, civil disobedience, and vandalism, writes Tikender Panwar.

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South Asian and South East Asian Cities at Crossroads: Role in International Climate Change Efforts

Rapid urbanisation brings new and substantial challenges, ranging from governance and citizenship to infrastructure, housing, and the environment. It is important to note that there is significant role of cities in causing climate change and they also increasingly seek ways to play an active role in international climate change efforts, writes Keshav Jha.

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Resilient Cities 2018

Resilient Cities 2018, the 9th Global Forum on Urban Resilience and Adaptation, will be held from the 26th to 28th April 2018 in Bonn, Germany. The annual forum is organised by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability and co-hosted with the City of Bonn, Germany.

ICLEI World Congress 2018

ICLEI World Congress 2018 will be hosted by the Ville de Montréal and organised by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the leading global network of more than 1,500 cities, towns and regions committed to building a sustainable future. It is scheduled from the 19th to 22nd June, 2018 in Montreal, Canada.

ICLEI South Asia E-News

December 2017

The District Energy in Cities Initiative in India Moves to the Next Phase

Source Segregation Initiated Successfully in Two Wards in Udaipur under the CapaCITIES Project

Water Leak Detection in Zone 1 in Siliguri under the CapaCITIES Project

Session on NDC Implementation in Asia at Cities & Regions Pavilion, COP23 - Bonn

ICLEI South Asia Visits China for Sino-Indian Collaboration on Environmental Technologies and Industry Exchange

ICLEI South Asia Starts On-Ground Activities under PROMISE Project

Support offered by ICLEI South Asia in Udaipur and Ludhiana under Shakti Smart Cities

International and National Transport Experts Visit CapaCITIES Project Cities

Rising Temperatures and Social Unrest

South Asian and South East Asian Cities at Crossroads: Role in International Climate Change Efforts

Resilient Cities 2018

ICLEI World Congress 2018

ICLEI South Asia Secretariat

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