A national workshop was held as part of the activities under the INTERACT-Bio project (German-funded urban biodiversity project) that aims at supporting selected cities in India, Brazil and Tanzania to sustainably manage biodiversity and ecosystems, and support local governments. The national workshop on ‘Guidelines for Biodiversity Conservation for Cities’ was organised by the Kochi Municipal Corporation, National Biodiversity Board, International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and the Centre for Heritage, Environment and Development (c-hed). The following aspects were discussed with key national, state and city government officials:

  • The role of cities and subnational governments can and should play in contributing to the development and implementation of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans;
  • Guidelines for an Integrated Approach in the Development and Implementation of National, Subnational and Local Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans;
  • Developing a draft template for Local Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans for city governments.

The workshop was attended by Nagpur Mayor Nanda Jichkar, Gangtok Mayor Shakti Singh Choudhary, Siliguri Mayor Dr Shankar Ghosh and senior officials and representatives of various municipal corporations across the country.

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