GLOBAL RIVER CITIES ALLIANCE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: "The Global River Cities Alliance (GRCA) was recently launched at COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai."

Global River Cities Alliance (GRCA)

• About: GRCA is a unique alliance covering 275+ global river-cities in 11 countries, international funding agencies and knowledge management partners and is first of its kind in the world.
• Led by: National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti
• Global Expansion of RCA: The GRCA extends the River Cities Alliance, initially established by NMCG with 142 Indian river cities, by incorporating river cities from Den Haag (Netherlands), Adelaide (Australia), and Szolnok (Hungary).
• International Collaboration for River Conservation: The alliance is dedicated to promoting global cooperation in river conservation and sustainable water management practices.
• Memorandum of Common Purpose with US Initiative:
• Previously, the RCA formalized a Memorandum of Common Purpose with the Mississippi River Towns and Cities Initiative in the United States.
• Emphasis on Mainstreaming Rivers in Urban Planning: The Director General of NMCG underscores the significance of integrating rivers into urban planning for overall environmental health.

Significance of RCA

• Enhancing river basin cities to be water-sensitive, leading to improved river health.
• Strengthening the governance of river cities and enhancing their liveability to attract external economic investments.
• Advocating for Urban River Management Plans and developing city-specific sectoral strategies to ensure sustainable urban river management.
• Supporting member cities in the implementation of SDG6, focusing on Clean Water and Sanitation.

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) 

• About: It is formed to act as implementation arm of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986.
• Established:  Year 2011 as a registered society under Societies Registration Act,1860.