AHMEDABAD: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has chosen Rajkot to become India’s first city to develop an urban cooling action plan to combat extreme heat and bring solutions for sustainable cooling. ICLEI South Asia, which made the announcement, is a non-governmental organization that works in the sustainability space.
ICLEI South Asia is the technical partner to UNEP in this project. A customized methodology is being developed for the city, in partnership with the UNEP-led Cool Coalition, which plans to coordinate and integrate municipality-led action on extreme heat and sustainable cooling. According to ICLEI South Asia, Rajkot is located in a semi-arid zone, which experiences very hot and dry summers. Increasing urban heat has led to a growing demand for cooling. Concerted efforts are required across sectors.
The new project will help bring together all municipal departments and relevant agencies to develop and implement an integrated urban cooling plan. It prioritises development of green spaces, energy-efficient buildings, district cooling, and other active and passive cooling solutions, officials said.
“A customised methodology is being developed for the city, in partnership with the UNEP-led Cool Coalition, which plans to coordinate and integrate municipality-led action on extreme heat and sustainable cooling,” ICLEI’s website says.
Deputy Commissioner at the Rajkot Municipal Corporation, Chetan Nandani said, “Rajkot has always shown readiness when it comes to adaptability and engagement with projects beneficial to the city and its people. Our multi-layered response, whether political or bureaucratic, has always been positive.
This could be one of the reasons why Rajkot has been considered.” Rajkot was selected as the first pilot city, considering Rajkot Municipal Corporation’s interest in spearheading sustainable development interventions.