The event brought together local officials and practitioners to share best practices on a number of issues related to cities and their environment. Cities Alliance Regional Adviser Ajay Suri also participated.
The themes of discussion at the conference included:
- Urbanisation and climate change
- Disaster risk, vulnerability assessment, and mitigation
- Urban environment—water, sanitation and waste treatment
- Clean energy, carbon credits and alternate transport
- Climate resilient cities
- Urban poor housing and health
- The role of communities and stakeholders in partnerships
- The leadership role—policy and governmental responsibility
A session on Sustainable Urban Infrastructure featured a presentation by Mr. U. P. S. Madan, Project Manager of the Mumbai Transformation Support Unit (MTSU). The MTSU is a special unit of AIILSG that was established with support of the Cities Alliance, the World Bank and USAID to facilitate the massive Mumbai Transformation Programme.
The conference also included a presentation on India’s Peer Experience and Reflective Learning (PEARL) programme, which fosters the creation of networks between cities for cross-learning and knowledge-sharing on urban reforms and city governance. It is part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), a large-scale fast-track city modernisation initiative launched by the Indian government in 2005.
Established in 1926, the AIILSG is a government-recognised, autonomous institute dedicated to the empowerment of local bodies and good local governance.
For more information about the conference, please see the attached agenda.
