CapaCITIES programme: Scaling Urban Climate Resilience event held in New Delhi

📌 Summary:

• ‘Scaling Urban Climate Resilience: The CapaCITIES Legacy and Way Forward’, organised by ICLEI South Asia and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), was held at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on 14 July 2026, marking a decade of the CapaCITIES programme; three CapaCITIES knowledge products were launched
• CapaCITIES (Capacity Building Project on Low Carbon and Climate Resilient City Development in India), launched in 2016 and funded by the Embassy of Switzerland to India and Bhutan, has helped cities mainstream low-carbon, climate-resilient development into urban governance
• The programme supports India's 2070 net-zero emissions goal by aligning local action with national missions and state-level goals
• Implemented via ICLEI South Asia, South Pole and econcept, with NIUA as knowledge partner; supported cities include Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu), Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Udaipur and Siliguri, plus Gujarat and Tamil Nadu state governments
• Event gathered officials, mayors, commissioners and engineers from 30+ cities, 6 state governments and financial institutions to chart the scaling-up and institutionalisation of local climate capabilities

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 environment — urban climate resilience/adaptation, net-zero 2070, sub-national climate action, urban governance and financing

📝 Prelims Facts:

• CapaCITIES launched in 2016; funded by the Embassy of Switzerland to India and Bhutan
• Implementing partners: ICLEI South Asia, South Pole, econcept; knowledge partner: NIUA
• India's net-zero target year: 2070
• Cities supported include Coimbatore, Rajkot, Vadodara, Udaipur, Siliguri

🔑 Key Term: Climate Resilience — the capacity of a system (e.g., a city) to anticipate, absorb and recover from climate-related hazards while maintaining essential functions.