The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs marked a decade of the CapaCITIES programme with an event titled 'Enhancing Urban Climate Resilience: CapaCITIES Legacy and Way Forward', held on 14 July 2026 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Organised by ICLEI South Asia and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), the gathering reviewed ten years of building local climate capacities in Indian cities. Funded by the Embassy of Switzerland in India and Bhutan and launched in 2016, CapaCITIES, the Capacity Building on Low Carbon and Climate Resilient Urban Development project, has helped mainstream low-carbon and climate-resilient development in urban governance, supporting India's 2070 net zero emissions target. It was implemented through ICLEI South Asia, South Pole and econcept, with NIUA as knowledge partner. The programme supported eight cities, namely Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Siliguri and Udaipur, along with the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu state governments. Over the decade it introduced Net-Zero Climate Resilient City Action Plans (CRCAPs) in eight cities, set up permanent climate action cells in six cities, and delivered pilots such as a 154 kWp floating solar plant in Coimbatore, a green mobility zone in Rajkot, a flood early-warning system in Tirunelveli and Miyawaki urban forestry in Vadodara. More than 35 cities used the CRCAP methodology and over 1,000 people were trained. Three knowledge products were launched, including the Net-Zero Climate Resilient Methodology Toolkit. The capacity-building framework was also extended to Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
CapaCITIES programme marks a decade of building urban climate resilience in India
India marked ten years of the Swiss-funded CapaCITIES programme at an event in New Delhi on 14 July 2026, reviewing a decade of low-carbon, climate-resilient urban development across eight cities and unveiling three new knowledge products.
Key facts
- The CapaCITIES programme completed a decade, celebrated at an event on 14 July 2026 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, organised by ICLEI South Asia and NIUA.
- Funded by the Embassy of Switzerland in India and Bhutan and launched in 2016, CapaCITIES supports India's target of net zero emissions by 2070.
- It was implemented through ICLEI South Asia, South Pole and econcept, with the National Institute of Urban Affairs as knowledge partner.
- Eight cities - Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Siliguri and Udaipur - adopted Net-Zero Climate Resilient City Action Plans (CRCAPs).
- Pilots included a 154 kWp floating solar plant in Coimbatore, a green mobility zone with 100 e-autos in Rajkot and Miyawaki urban forestry in Vadodara; the framework was extended to Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
Practice MCQ from this story
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Consider the following statements regarding the CapaCITIES programme:\n1. It was funded by the Embassy of Switzerland in India and Bhutan and launched in 2016.\n2. It supports India's target of achieving net zero emissions by 2070.\nWhich of the statements given above is/are correct?
Both statements are correct. CapaCITIES (Capacity Building on Low Carbon and Climate Resilient Urban Development in India) was funded by the Embassy of Switzerland in India and Bhutan and launched in 2016. By strengthening local capacities and linking city action to national missions and state targets, it supports India's 2070 net zero emissions target.
Source: Press Information Bureau
Frequently asked questions
What is the CapaCITIES programme?
CapaCITIES, the Capacity Building on Low Carbon and Climate Resilient Urban Development in India project, is a programme launched in 2016 and funded by the Embassy of Switzerland in India and Bhutan to help Indian cities mainstream low-carbon, climate-resilient development.
Which organisations implemented CapaCITIES?
It was implemented through ICLEI South Asia, South Pole and econcept, with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) as the knowledge partner.
How does CapaCITIES support India's climate goals?
By strengthening local capacities and linking city action to national missions and state targets, it supports India's goal of net zero emissions by 2070.
Which cities benefited from the programme?
Eight cities - Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Siliguri and Udaipur - along with the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu governments received support.
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