The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs inaugurated the second edition of the ARISE Cities Forum 2026 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on October 27, 2026. The two-day forum, organized by ICLEI South Asia in collaboration with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), brought together over 200 delegates from more than 50 cities across 18+ countries, primarily representing the Global South region.
Themed "From Bharat to Antalya — Commit. Implement. Deliver," the forum features 3 technical plenaries and 14 technical sessions focusing on urban resilience, sustainability, equitable development, and low-carbon development strategies. The discussions are intended to feed into the Delhi Declaration on Local Action for Global Climate Goals 2026, which will be adopted on October 28, 2026, and presented at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.
Shri Tokhan Sahu, Hon'ble Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, emphasized the need for collective efforts to develop sustainable cities to fulfil India's climate commitments and realize the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. The forum included participation from mayors of Kochi (India), Fuvahmulah (Maldives), Karjanha (Nepal), and Samdrup Jongkhar (Bhutan), representing urban leadership across South Asia.
Day 1 featured 2 plenary sessions and 8 technical sessions covering topics including multilevel climate action, climate-resilient water management, sustainable energy transition, urban biodiversity, nature-positive cities, coastal resilience, and integrating public health with climate-resilient urban planning. Several launches occurred on the first day, including the Centre for Sustainable Urban Mobility and Integrated Transportation (SUMMIT), state-level project pipeline reports for climate-resilient cities in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, and various compendiums and guidelines on gender-responsive transport and nature-based solutions.
The forum will conclude with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, which will be handed over to Samed Ağırbaş, COP31 Climate Champion and President of the Zero Waste Foundation, marking a step toward strengthening the presence of Global South cities on the global climate stage.