This Article is From Dec 06, 2014

Chennai, Bengaluru Join '100 Resilient Cities' Network

Chennai, Bengaluru Join '100 Resilient Cities' Network

FILE photo of Bengaluru which is among 32 cities that have been added to the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) network

New York: Chennai and Bengaluru are among the 32 cities around the world that have been added to the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) network.

100RC, pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, is dedicated to helping cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges that are a growing part of the 21st century.

According to the network, Chennai was chosen as the administration had begun developing coordinated disaster response plans. In addition, the city was making efforts to build on experience, learning from past events and continuing to provide best-practice solutions to other regions, it added.

"This is similar to how it responded in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, when it developed an early warning system," the network said.

In the case of Bengaluru, city officials have warned that a worsening of the water supply situation could lead to evacuations or even abandonment of parts of the city. The IT city has already launched regular desilting projects and public awareness campaigns in this regard.

The announcement of the incorporation of the 32 new cities was made on December 2 at the Rockefeller Foundation's Urban Resilience Summit in Singapore.

Other prominent cities to join the network include Amman, Athens, Accra, Barcelona, Chicago, Lisbon, London, Paris, Singapore, Sydney and Wellington.

"Each city was asked to present a clear and compelling description of their major resilience challenges, how they are approaching and planning for resilience to decrease vulnerabilities, and how they plan to partner with us," 100RC said in a statement.

100RC supports the adoption and incorporation of a view of resilience that includes not just shocks - earthquakes, fires, floods - but also stresses that weaken the fabric of a city on a day-to-day basis.
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