New Delhi | Celebrating ten years of advancing low-carbon and climate-resilient urban development, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), in collaboration with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and ICLEI South Asia, hosted the event “Scaling Urban Climate Resilience: The CapaCITIES Legacy and Way Forward” at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The event reviewed the achievements of the CapaCITIES programme while outlining the roadmap for scaling climate action across Indian cities.
Launched in 2016 with financial support from the Embassy of Switzerland to India and Bhutan, the Capacity Building Project on Low Carbon and Climate Resilient City Development in India (CapaCITIES) has worked to strengthen urban local bodies by integrating climate resilience into governance, planning, and infrastructure development. Implemented by ICLEI South Asia in partnership with South Pole and econcept, with NIUA serving as the knowledge partner, the programme has supported cities including Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Udaipur, Siliguri, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, and Tirunelveli, along with the state governments of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
The event brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, representatives from over 30 cities, six state governments, financial institutions, technical experts, and international development partners to discuss strategies for mainstreaming climate resilience into urban governance.
Addressing the inaugural session, Gopal Prasad, Economic Adviser, MoHUA, stressed that climate action must move beyond policy intent to institutional implementation. He highlighted the need for dedicated climate cells within urban local bodies to embed climate considerations into city planning and decision-making processes.
H.E. Maya Tissafi, Ambassador of Switzerland to India and Bhutan, described the programme as a decade-long partnership focused on strengthening institutions and helping city governments integrate climate considerations into planning and budgeting. Meanwhile, Dr Debolina Kundu, Director, NIUA, noted that CapaCITIES has delivered multiple developmental benefits, including livelihood generation, women’s empowerment, ecosystem restoration, and emissions reduction, creating models that can be replicated across India.
The programme’s achievements over the past decade include the preparation of Net-Zero Climate Resilient City Action Plans (CRCAPs) across eight cities, establishment of permanent climate action cells in six urban local bodies, and implementation of pilot projects such as Ahmedabad’s solar-powered e-bus charging station, Coimbatore’s floating solar plant, Rajkot’s Green Mobility Zone, Tiruchirappalli’s lake restoration initiative, Tirunelveli’s flood warning system, and Vadodara’s Miyawaki urban forestry project.
Technical sessions explored ways to integrate climate considerations into urban planning, expand successful initiatives through programmes such as CITIIS 2.0 and TNCRUDP, and mobilise investments for sustainable infrastructure. The event also witnessed the launch of three major knowledge products: the Net-Zero Climate Resilient Cities Methodology Toolkit, Energy Transition for Urban Local Bodies in India: A Practitioner’s Guidebook, and a white paper titled Facilitating the Transition of Cities in India Along a Low-Carbon Pathway: Enabling the Flow of Finance. A video training series on preparing and implementing Net-Zero Climate Resilient City Action Plans was also launched on the National Urban Learning Platform.
According to the programme’s impact assessment, CapaCITIES has enabled more than 35 cities to adopt climate-resilient planning methodologies, supported over 34 cities through the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework, trained more than 1,000 professionals, developed 12 climate action plans, conceptualised 24 bankable projects, and identified approximately ₹7,142 billion in potential climate investments.
Speaking at the event, Emani Kumar, Deputy Secretary General, ICLEI and Executive Director, ICLEI South Asia, said the programme’s next phase would continue supporting India’s climate commitments under the Panchamrit goals, Mission LiFE, the Smart Cities Mission, and AMRUT, helping cities become more resilient and future-ready.
Also Read: Building Climate Literacy Programme Strengthens Heritage Conservation Efforts Across Central Asia
Join our WhatsApp Channel for fastest updates: Join now