Description

While digital means are increasingly used to assist in managing cities, an untapped potential lies in using these means to facilitate participatory local-level policymaking and implementation to catalyze transformative climate actions. This holds special significance in small and medium cities from the Global South that face resource and capacity constraints. In this ever-dynamic world, data-driven decision-making platforms can assist in augmenting the capacity of local actors and communities to collaborate on forward-looking, transformative climate actions.

The project assists urban local bodies in working effectively with all stakeholders (particularly civil society) to gather and analyze data needed for comprehensive policymaking and jointly implement transformative climate actions. A key demonstration of this approach is the Urban Living Lab in Visakhapatnam, which fosters grassroots ecosystems for climate resilience by integrating participatory methodologies with digital tools. By actively engaging local communities and stakeholders, the Urban Living Lab enables co-creation of solutions for challenges such as urban flooding and heat stress. The project aims to showcase a science-based participatory planning framework for data-driven decision-making that can inspire cities across the globe.