Smart Cities Missionof the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India has initiated the “ClimateSmart Cities Assessment Framework(CSCAF)” as a step towards holistic, climate responsive urban development. This is part of the Mission’s focus on 3 pillars of performance- Liveability, Economic-ability and Sustainability. It is in keeping with the Mission’s approach of evidence-based planning and performance management through accurate and objective data-centric indices to measure the development of institutional, physical, social and economic aspects of India’s cities and towns. The objective of the CSCAF is to provide a clear roadmap for cities and in effect, urban India as a whole, towards combating climate change (mitigation and adaptation) while planning their actions including investments.
The development of the CSCAF itself, in its first avatar, saw the participation of many like-minded, well-intentioned and knowledgeable organizations. Starting with a brainstorming session, that saw 26 technical organizations and around 10 city functionaries participating, the numbers have now grown to include many more organizations and 100 cities. The broad themes were then taken forward into the development of indicators with sub-committees consisting of over 40 members from multiple organizations. Over repeated iterations, refinementsand consultations with experts & city authorities, the CSCAF was finalized and formally launched on 26 February, 2019. The first round of assessment under the framework for the 100 Smart Cities was carried out in 6 months spanning July to December, 2019. The results of the 1st round of assessments will be declared shortly. See more at smartnet.niua.org/csc.
