Decoding DHARA

DHARA is an acronym for Driving Holistic Action for Urban Rivers.

• It is the annual congregation of the members of the River Cities Alliance (RCA).
• The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) jointly organize DHARA.
• DHARA provides a platform where members can learn from each other and discuss effective strategies for local water resource management.
• The DHARA 2023 event was closely linked to India’s G20 Presidency and the Urban20 (U20) initiative.
• The U20 initiative was focused on promoting urban water security, and DHARA 2023 underscored the importance of healthy rivers in ensuring city-wide water security.
• DHARA 2023 presented ‘National Case Studies on Innovative River-related Practices’ which introduced attendees to unique and inventive solutions for various facets of urban river management.
• These practices encompassed a wide array of topics including rejuvenation of lakes and ponds, decentralized wastewater management, enhancing river-related economy, groundwater management, and flood management.
• The event also showcased international case studies which highlighted innovative river-related practices from different countries, such as Denmark, Israel, the Netherlands, the USA, Japan, and Australia.

A Closer Look at the River Cities Alliance

The River Cities Alliance (RCA) was established in 2021 as a dedicated platform for cities located along rivers in India. Its main goal is to foster collaboration and information exchange to achieve sustainable management of urban rivers.

• Starting with 30 cities in 2021, the alliance now has 95 member cities from across India. The Alliance is open to all river cities in India, allowing any city to join the alliance at any point.
• The alliance includes cities from both Ganga and non-Ganga river basins.
• The RCA is designed to be a facilitative platform for initiating river-sensitive planning and development.
• The River Cities Alliance (RCA) is unique globally as it exemplifies the successful partnership between the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• The Alliance primarily focuses on three main pillars: Networking, Capacity Building, and Technical Support.