Blogs

India is home to ten of the world's fastest-growing cities. However, growth by itself is not a measure of quality. The quality of life in cities depends on equitable access to services and opportunities, as well as access to quality public spaces and safe streets. In India, city officials and urban practitioners help shape urban development which makes it important to build their capacity in designing neighborhoods...

The third and concluding photo essay of the Mithi River series looks at enhancing the river's capacity for flood resilience through planning and design. We highlight five opportunities to adapt open spaces for absorbing and holding water at strategic locations along the river’s stretch. Read the first and the...

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement establishes cooperative mechanisms, particularly carbon markets, for countries to meet their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and raise ambition to achieve global climate goals. These cooperative mechanisms can reduce the cost of meeting NDCs by an estimated...

This blog was first published in Alternate Policy Solutions on February 6, 2023.

Charting a Future for a Just Low Carbon Development in India

The United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP27) recently held at Sharm el-Sheikh concluded with a few notable advances for developing countries. Along with the establishment of a historic Loss &...

After the huge success of the Grand Challenge, state-owned Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), supported by WRI India, has accelerated the adoption of electric buses under phase-1 of the National Electric Bus Program with a tender for 6,465 electric buses...

In her introduction to the Budget for the financial year 2023-24, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said “We are implementing many programmes for green fuel, green energy, green farming, green mobility, green buildings, and green equipment, and policies for efficient use of energy across various economic sectors.” The term “green” appears 22 times in the speech. Green Growth has been stated as one of seven priorities alongside inclusive development and infrastructure and investment in the Union Budget announced on Wednesday. But how green, inclusive, and sustainable development-...

Shaping efficient and equitable urban service delivery for sustainable growth

India is projected to overtake China as the most populous country in the world this year. The shifting demographics are bound to see heightened demand for education, healthcare, jobs, and civic amenities, putting existing systems under stress. Current urban services delivery models, in transport, water and waste management are plagued by outdated legacy systems, lack of data and restrictive policies and regulations. Focusing on technology-led innovation has the potential to...

Disclaimer: All pictures are of participants in the Healthy Cities for Adolescents (HCA) project and have been taken with their consent.

This is the second blog in a two-part series on Adolescents and Public Spaces. This blog touches upon the importance of adolescent inclusion in public space development processes by focusing on engagement as one of the ways this can be achieved. Read the first blog in the series here.

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This blog is the second in a four-part series that highlights critical aspects of implementing the Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP). The authors spotlight opportunities that lie in equitable and inclusive climate action with a focus on residents of informal settlements who make up more than 42% of the city’s population. Read the first blog in the series here.

“Diversity makes cities vibrant...

More than 700 million people in India currently depend on forests and agriculture for sustenance, mostly comprised of highly vulnerable groups such as tribals, women, smallholders and marginal farmers. Any threat to these forests and farmlands poses a risk to the dignified survival of these populations. To protect and conserve these forests and farmlands and ensure a continued flow of ecosystem services, nature-based solutions such as landscape restoration can prove effective. Land restoration can both...