Mandi, formerly known as Mandav Nagar, situated in India’s northern state of Himachal Pradesh, is ICLEI’s newest member in South Asia.
Mandi is one of the leading cities of the state, with a municipal council in Mandi District. Also referred to as “Varanasi of Hills” or “Kashi of Himachal”, Mandi is one of the oldest and fastest growing cities of Himachal Pradesh. Situated on the banks of river Beas and with the second largest economy in the state, Mandi is also a popular tourist destination. The town is spreading over an area of 4.26 sq. km, which is divided into 13 wards having spatial extent ranging between 0.03 and 1.03 sq. km.
Since June 2014, ICLEI South Asia has involved the city in the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) Programme, supported by the Rockefeller Foundation which is targeted at integrating climate resilience into the city planning process.
Ms. Urvashi Walia, the Executive Officer (EO) and head of the administration of Municipal Council, Mandi, says, “It is indeed a great privilege for City of Mandi to join growing network of ICLEI.” Ms. Walia who is also responsible for tax collection, estates maintenance and projects at the council adds, “We have recently implemented the ICLEI ACCCRN Process (IAP) – an established and proven framework of improving resilience of fragile urban systems and mitigating the climate risk. Now, we look forward to a long and fruitful relation with ICLEI.”
ICLEI is equally optimistic with the new member joining its network. “We at ICLEI South Asia welcome the city as our new member and hope that this partnership will benefit the city in multiple quarters to include environmental sustainability, climate change resilience and overall sustainable urban development,” says Emani Kumar, Deputy Secretary General, ICLEI South Asia as he welcomes Mandi to the ICLEI network.
