Visakhapatnam, May 18, 2023 – The Mayor of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), G. Hari Venkata Kumari, expressed her welcome to initiatives aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change on Visakhapatnam city. She made these remarks during a programme on Transformative Climate Action using Participatory Data-Driven Decision Making Platforms (T-CAP) held on Wednesday.
As the chief guest, Mayor Kumari addressed the audience on the topic of ‘Current Scenario – Visakhapatnam (Impacts of Climate Change).’ She emphasized the importance of public participation in government-led efforts, particularly in areas such as rainwater harvesting, tree planting, plastic control, and the use of public transport, which all contribute to environmental protection.
The T-CAP project in Visakhapatnam, undertaken by 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, aims to develop a participatory planning framework for climate-informed decision-making. The Sustainability and Resilience Unit of GVMC will oversee this action research from October 2022 to December 2024, with the objective of inspiring cities worldwide.
During the event, Mayor Kumari inaugurated the Visakhapatnam Urban Living Lab (ULL) as part of the T-CAP project. These ULLs serve as platforms for re-evaluating and reassessing urban planning practices, promoting participatory data-driven governance for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). The ULL in Visakhapatnam will facilitate collaborative actions to address existing and anticipated climatic challenges by utilizing real-time data sets and connecting various urban development and planning themes. It will provide a space for affected groups, citizen welfare associations, academia, businesses, and more to contribute to the city’s resilience.
Highlighting the vulnerability of Visakhapatnam’s coastal region to adverse weather conditions, GVMC Commissioner C.M. Saikanth Varma suggested that the T-CAP team should also explore advanced measures and solutions to minimize the impact of cyclones and other weather-related challenges.
The project presentation was delivered by Himanshu Shekhar, Associate Academic Officer from UNU, with support from Sarath Babu of NIUA and Sharif Qamar from TERI. The T-CAP programme signifies an important step towards addressing climate change and fostering sustainable development in Visakhapatnam, setting an example for cities worldwide to follow.