Cabinet approves new programm called CITIIS 2.0

The Indian government has approved a new program called CITIIS 2.0, which will provide financial and technical assistance to cities and states in India to help them become more climate-resilient. The program will run for four years, from 2023 to 2027, and will be funded by a loan of ₹1760 crore (EUR 200 million) from the French Development Agency (AFD) and Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) (EUR 100 million each), and a technical assistance grant of Rs.106 cr. (EUR 12 million) from the European Union (EU). CITIIS 2.0 is a follow-on to the CITIIS 1.0 program, which was launched in 2018 and ran for three years. CITIIS 1.0 supported 12 city-level projects and capacity-building activities in the state of Odisha. CITIIS 2.0 will build on the successes of CITIIS 1.0 and will focus on three main areas: Building climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation in up to 18 smart cities: CITIIS 2.0 will provide financial and technical support to cities to develop projects that will help them become more resilient to climate change. This could include projects such as improving waste management, developing green infrastructure, or building climate-resilient buildings. Strengthening climate governance in urban India: CITIIS 2.0 will support states and cities to strengthen their climate governance systems. This could include activities such as setting up climate centers, developing climate action plans, or building the capacity of municipal staff. Knowledge dissemination and partnerships: CITIIS 2.0 will promote knowledge sharing and partnerships between cities, states, and other stakeholders. This will help to ensure that the lessons learned from CITIIS 2.0 are widely shared and that the program has a lasting impact. CITIIS 2.0 is a significant step forward in India's efforts to address climate change. The program will help cities and states to become more resilient to climate change and will support the government's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. See also: Kochi Smart City: Improving the liveability standardsGovt proposes to launch 105 projects in Puducherry