INDIA-LED GLOBAL RIVER CITIES ALLIANCE LAUNCHED AT COP28
Why in the News?
Inspired by India’s River Cities Alliance, the GRCA debuted at the Indian Pavilion in Dubai during COP28.
Source: NIUA
GRCA Establishment:
- Modeled after India’s River Cities Alliance formed by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) in November 2021.
- NMCG and NIUA will serve as the GRCA Secretariat under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Nine Participating Countries:
- India, Denmark, Cambodia, Japan, Bhutan, Australia, Netherlands, Egypt, and Ghana are the founding members of GRCA.
- Support from multilateral funding agencies like the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Focus Areas:
- Concentrates on capacity building and knowledge exchange for integrated river management to combat climate change impacts on ecosystems.
- Key initiatives involve comprehensive water monitoring, sharing best practices for urban area renaturation, and restoring aquatic ecosystems for sustainable urban development.
- Emphasis on restoring urban forests, lakes linked to rivers, and promoting green spaces.
- Recognition of the role of floods in maintaining river ecosystem health, showing a commitment to proactive environmental stewardship and innovative river management.
River Cities Alliance:
- Platform for Indian river cities to exchange ideas and information for sustainable urban river management.
- Collaboration between the Jal Shakti Ministry and the Housing & Urban Affairs Ministry.
- NIUA and NMCG jointly launched the initiative, with the Secretariat to be established at NIUA supported by NMCG.
- Focus areas: Networking, Technical Support, and Capacity Building.