Visakhapatnam: Transformative climate action to involve stakeholders

Visakhapatnam: In alignment with the weather conditions, there is a need to transform Visakhapatnam, said Mayor G Hari Venkata Kumari.

Speaking at a programme on ‘Transformative climate Action using Participatory data-driven decision-making platforms,’ along with GVMC Commissioner CM Saikanth Varma, the Mayor said that the presence of a long coastline in Visakhapatnam impacts the weather condition in the city. Being a coastal city, it is more prone to the hydro-meteorological disasters, mainly cyclones, she stated.

Visakhapatnam got selected for Transformative Climate Action project (T-CAP). The National Institute for Urban Affairs (NIUA) in collaboration with the United Nations University - Institute of Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), Bonn, Germany and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi and Sustainability and Resilience Unit (SRU) (UNDP-GoI project), GVMC has taken up action-based research on T-CAP. Apart from being the coastal city, Visakhapatnam is also known to be an industrial hub. Their presence requires better preparedness to combat natural calamities, the Mayor mentioned.

Rain harvesting system, massive plantation drives, ban on single use plastic, increase in renewable energy, use of e-vehicles aid in combating climate change, the Mayor added.

Speaking on the occasion, the GVMC Commissioner mentioned that the corporation has been successful in reducing air and water pollution. He called for a coordinated effort to focus on such measures.

The objective of the project aims to design and develop a participatory planning framework for climate-informed decision-making for Visakhapatnam that can inspire cities across the globe.

As a part of T-CAP, Visakhapatnam Urban Living Lab (ULL) was inaugurated on the occasion. Through the concept of an ULL, collaborations can be facilitated among a wide range of stakeholders, including citizens, affected groups, academia, businesses, non-profit organisations and research institutions. By bringing together the diverse perspectives, ULL can encourage a re-evaluation, re-assessment, and even a revision of urban planning practices.

The lab plays a crucial role in promoting participatory data-driven governance for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and leveraging systemic urban change by providing a platform for collaborative problem-solving through experimentation, testing and scaling innovative solutions, and engaging citizens in decision-making. United Nations Development Programme coordinator N Srinivasa Rajamani and GVMC staff participated in the programme.