Urbanisation in India happening at very rapid pace: Urban Affairs Secretary at U20 Mayoral Summit

Ahmedabad: Urbanisation is the biggest phenomenon in developing nations and in India, it is happening at a "very rapid pace", housing and urban affairs ministry secretary Manoj Joshi said on Friday, stressing that in the next 10-20 years, cities will decide the fate of countries.

He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 'Urban 20 Mayoral Summit', in which 500 delegates, including over 80 mayors and their deputies from India and foreign cities, are participating.

"Urbanisation in India is passing through a very very rapid pace. Currently, we have more than 450 million people living in cities which is expected to increase to 800 million people in 25 years," Joshi said.

The government has done several works in multiple sectors in the last 10 years, including in solid waste management and technology driven governance, and matters related to climate change and transport, he said.

The U20 is an engagement group under India's G20 presidency. It is a city diplomacy initiative, comprising cities from G20 countries, emphasising the role of cities in taking forward the global agenda for sustainable development through collaboration among cities.

Joshi said that "around the world, in developing countries, urbanisation is the biggest phenomenon which is happening, and in most of India, our entire change in prosperity, income generation, job generation is happening in urban India and what we do in the next 10-20 years in our cities is deciding the fate of our countries".

The two-day event will also host an exhibition showcasing India's urban story, particularly city-level successes, notable projects and innovative initiatives.

There will also be a screening of select films to help raise awareness about the multifaceted impacts of climate change on urban areas and vice versa.

Thematic sessions on the six U20 priority areas will be organised during the summit. The U20 priority areas echo the emphasis the G20 is laying on environmental responsibility, climate finance and cities of the future.

The six priorities under the U20 include encouraging environmentally responsible behaviours, accelerating climate finance, ensuring water security, promoting local culture and economy, reinventing frameworks for urban governance and planning, and catalysing digital urban futures.

The thematic sessions will include talks and presentations by mayors or equivalent city leaders from Tokyo, Riyadh, Paris, Surat, Srinagar, Amman, Los Angeles, New York City, Katowice, Rio de Janeiro, Dubai, Indore, Kitchener, London, Montevideo, Johannesburg, Kochi and Durban, among others.