ICLEI-South Asia

Call for Proposals

ICLEI-South Asia is seeking qualified partners to execute a rainwater harvesting system at a Government High School in Chikkabanavara, Bengaluru, India.

Part of the “Development of 75 Food Gardens in 4 Mega Cities in India” project supported by Amazon, this initiative aims to strengthen water security and support sustainable school ecosystems.

🗓️ Deadline: 22 May 2026

📩 Submit your proposals as per the ToR and be part of building climate-resilient communities.

Click here to APPLY: https://southasia.iclei.org/our-tenders/

New ICLEI South Asia Compendium showcases Nature-based Solutions for urban waterbody restoration

In a significant step towards advancing sustainable urban water management, ICLEI-South Asia officially released a Compendium on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Waterbody Restoration, co-authored by Dr. Monalisa Sen, Associate Director, and Dr. Rinku Singh, Senior Project Officer-Biodiversity, ICLEI South Asia, on 29 April 2026, in Kochi, Kerala.

The publication was released by the Hon’ble Deputy Mayor of Kochi Deepak Joy, alongside three Standing Committee Chairpersons and several councillors.

Developed under the CLARE (Climate Adaptation and Resilience) Programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, the compendium highlights practical, scalable approaches to waterbody restoration, rooted in ecological principles and community engagement.

What’s inside?

• 10 case studies from South Asia and beyond

• Solutions ranging from lake rejuvenation and canal restoration to floating wetlands and floodplain restoration

• Insights into governance, financing, and stakeholder collaboration

A key takeaway from the Compendium: Combining natural systems with targeted technological interventions can create both immediate impact and long-term sustainability.

This compendium serves as a practical roadmap for cities to adopt context-specific NbS strategies and bridge the gap between policy and implementation.

ICLEI South Asia remains committed to working closely with cities to support the planning and implementation of sustainable, climate-resilient urban systems.

Read the Compendium here: https://tinyurl.com/9a5yjsx2

ICLEI-South Asia participated in the 2026 World Climate Cities Forum, co-hosted by ICLEI Korea 이클레이 한국사무소 and Yeosu City, Jeollanam-do Province, from 21–22 April in Yeosu, South Korea.

Convened under the theme “Locally Led Green Transformation,” the forum brought together 170 participants, including representatives from 28 local governments across 13 countries. It featured the critical role of local governments in advancing their climate agenda and driving green transformation, bridging national commitments and global goals through concrete actions at the local level.

In his opening address, Emani Kumar, Deputy Secretary General of ICLEI and Executive Director of ICLEI South Asia, underscored the importance of engagement of subnational governments in the formulation and implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). He highlighted Town Hall COPs, an ICLEI initiative of community-led climate dialogues, suggesting that institutionalising such platforms in the lead-up to COP31 would enable stronger integration of subnational perspectives into the UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) process.

ICLEI’s member cities showcased how bold ideas translate into real-world solutions:

Tirupati
Shri C. Divakar Reddy, Chairman of the Tirupati Urban Development Authority, presented the city’s roadmap toward a sustainable future. He outlined a comprehensive approach combining large-scale clean energy investments such as solar, wind, battery storage, and green hydrogen. These efforts align with Andhra Pradesh’s broader Net Zero 2047 vision and demonstrate how integrated planning can deliver resilient infrastructure and cleaner public services.

Kochi
Mayor Adv. Minimol V. K highlighted Kochi’s transition into a sustainable green port city. The city is advancing electric mobility, scaling up renewable energy, particularly solar, and strengthening integrated transport systems like the metro and water metro. With a strong focus on nature-based solutions, Kochi is also linking canal rejuvenation with water-based transport—creating synergies across mobility, flood management, and urban resilience.

Penang
Dr. Vishanthini Kanasan, Advisor and Undersecretary, Penang Chief Minister and State Secretary Office, highlighted Penang’s transformation into a high-tech, sustainable industrial hub that reflects its ambitious Penang2030 vision. Through the Penang Green Industry Programme, the state is advancing energy efficiency, scaling renewable energy, and leveraging Industry 4.0 for smart manufacturing, alongside circular economy practices. Along with reducing emissions, these practices are fostering innovation and strengthening a skilled workforce.

At the session “Green Transition of Port Cities,” moderated by Soumya Chaturvedula, Director of ICLEI South Asia, cities discussed renewable energy integration, green shipping corridors, and carbon neutrality, with Kitakyushu highlighting offshore wind innovation, the Korea Maritime Institute focusing on renewable-powered port decarbonisation, and Incheon presenting its 2045 carbon-neutral maritime roadmap.

Nearly 70% of urban projects fail at the design and structuring stage, underscoring the importance of project preparation for implementation success. With the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India now open, this is a crucial moment for cities of all sizes to strengthen their project preparation and pipeline capacity, especially as 50% of project costs will need to be mobilised from the market through loans, bonds, CSR and other financing instruments.

ICLEI-South Asia participated in the Strengthening Cities for All Dissemination Conference on 21-22 April 2026 in New Delhi, convened under Sustainable Urban Development Smart Cities-II (SUDSC II) by MoHUA and GIZ India, with support from the European Union and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The conference brought together national, state, and city stakeholders to advance climate-resilient, gender-inclusive, digitally enabled, and financially sustainable urban development.

On Day 2, ICLEI South Asia led the session on governance and structure of investment projects and the stakeholder mapping exercise, helping city teams think through project organisation, decision-making, institutional roles, and financing models such as Public-Private Partnerships and private sector participation.

The session highlighted how stronger municipal capacity, clearer project structuring, and early planning can help cities turn project ideas into bankable proposals. ICLEI South Asia shared its experience of supporting 10+ Indian cities in preparing bankable projects, including work on climate budgeting, net-zero, climate and sustainability cells in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu cities, and support for capital investment planning.

The discussion also highlighted key project preparation and financing pathways, including the Urban Challenge Fund, the Gap Fund, Climate Projects Preparation Facility (CPPF), and the Transformative Actions Program (TAP) pipeline, all of which can help cities move from concept to implementation.

Through technical assistance, capacity building, and facilitation of access to global and national financing mechanisms, ICLEI South Asia is committed to enable cities to build resilient, inclusive, and future-ready urban systems.

The ARISE Cities Forum— ICLEI-South Asia’s flagship urban resilience forum of local governments is back!

Stay tuned for dates.



Follow this space for more updates.

Last week, the ICLEI-South Asia team had the privilege of engaging with two inspiring leaders shaping the future of Mumbai—the city’s first citizen, Ritu Tawde, and Ashwini Bhide, IAS, the first woman Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

It was an energising exchange, where we explored pathways for collaboration on climate action, sustainability, and building resilient urban systems across the city. As Mumbai navigates increasingly complex climate challenges, partnerships like these are not just important—they are catalytic in turning ambition into tangible, on-ground impact.

At ICLEI South Asia, we look forward to supporting the city ahead in shaping a future where communities are safer, healthier, and able to thrive in the face of a changing and uncertain climate—through just transitions, transformative investments, and strong, coordinated governance.

We are truly excited about the possibilities ahead and deeply look forward to building a strong, action-oriented association with these dynamic women leaders—working together to shape a more sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient future for Mumbai.

ICLEI-South Asia participated in the Trans-Himalayan Urban Climate Conclave 2026 on 10–11 April in Leh, themed “Advancing Climate-Resilient and Net-Zero Pathways for Himalayan Cities.” The event was organised by the Housing and Urban Development Department, UT Ladakh, in collaboration with Municipal Committee Leh, Ladakh Ecological Development Group, German Cooperation, and BORDA South Asia.

At the panel discussion on “Enabling Governance for Climate-Resilient Mountain Cities,” ICLEI South Asia highlighted that conventional approaches are no longer sufficient for high-risk and geographies and volatile ecosystems such as mountains. Instead, they require integrated, locally contextualised planning supported by strong institutions, community participation, and data-driven decision-making.

The organisation also highlighted its ClimateResilientCITIES (CRC) methodology, which cities across the region are using for comprehensive climate action planning through multi-climate governance mechanisms, and emphasised the urgent need for a systematic and integrated planning in the hilly regions.

Key highlights from the intervention included:

•Putting communities at the centre via participatory planning and implementation, with the local population at the centre of decision-making to ensure long-term resilience.

•Designing for local realities – Recognising that each mountain city has unique geography and ecology. Therefore, solutions must be locally relevant rather than one-size-fits-all.

•Annual budgetary planning through a climate lens with projects designed to deliver clear mitigation or adaptation benefits.

•Prioritising nature-based solutions and climate resilience investments.

•Strengthening governance systems by establishing dedicated climate core committees, climate cells inside urban local bodies, and robust Monitoring, Reporting & Verification systems.

•Enabling multi-level integration by developing Climate Action Plans at city, state, and UT levels.

•Scaling hyperlocal solutions by gathering local data and promoting ecosystem restoration such as stream and lake rejuvenation.

•Linking climate plans and policies with statutory master plans and statutory planning frameworks.

The discussion underscored the importance of integrating local traditional knowledge and practices with modern planning. It highlighted ecosystem-based adaptation measures such as terracing and bioengineering, combined with improved energy access through solar and biogas, promoting cool surfaces, green corridors, and passive building designs that simultaneously cut energy demand for cooling and reduce heat stress.

ICLEI South Asia remains committed to supporting cities across the Trans-Himalayan region in building climate-resilient, low-emission futures.

We Are Hiring!

ICLEI South Asia invites applications from individuals, private companies, public sector entities, and NGOs for an assignment in Delhi.

Opportunity: Development of an educational board game on urban agriculture and food gardens for students in municipal schools under the Development of Urban Food Gardens in Four Mega Cities Project.
This initiative aims to promote hands-on learning, environmental awareness, and sustainable practices among young students through an engaging and interactive approach.

📍 Location: Delhi, India
📅 Deadline: 24 April 2026
📌 Scan the QR code or visit: https://tinyurl.com/agriculturegametor