India-led Global River Cities Alliance launched at COP28

• Recently, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) initiated the Global River Cities Alliance (GRCA) as an extension of the Namami Gange program.
• The launch took place at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai.

Expansion of River Cities Alliance

• The GRCA expands the existing River Cities Alliance formed by NMCG and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
• Notably, cities like Den Haag (Netherlands), Adelaide (Australia) and Szolnok (Hungary) have joined the GRCA.

River Cities Alliance (RCA)

• It is a joint initiative of the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• Vision: To connect river cities and focus on sustainable river centric development.
• Beginning with 30 member cities in November 2021, the Alliance has expanded to 109 river cities across India and one international member city from Denmark.

International Collaboration

• The GRCA signed a Memorandum of Common Purpose (MoCP) with the Mississippi River Towns and Cities Initiative of the United States.
• This marked a unique global alliance for river conservation and sustainable water management.

Global Significance

• The GRCA launch is hailed as a significant step in global efforts toward river conservation.
• The alliance is expected to play a crucial role in coordinating post-COP activities, shaping the framework for effective implementation of river conservation initiatives.

Prelims Takeaway

• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)
• Global River Cities Alliance (GRCA)
• River Cities Alliance (RCA)