Connect Karo 2019
By 2030, over half of India's population will be living in cities. Urbanization is strongly linked to economic growth and productivity, and other social indicators like education, health and access to services. It is estimated that by 2020, urban India will account for more than 70 percent of India’s GDP. However, if unplanned, urbanization can increase inequality and social fragmentation, and negatively impact the environment. Many cities today are grappling with declining air quality, increased vehicular congestion, and poor quality and access to essential public services.
The Indian government recognizes that if we are to grow our economy, improve social indicators, and protect the environment, sustainable urban development is crucial. Thriving cities will lead to a prosperous country. With this in mind, Connect Karo 2018, “Thriving Cities, Prosperous Countries”, will focus on high-level discussions on critical urban issues like transport, land-use, air quality, housing, and energy, to identify key levers that could be used to accelerate infrastructure delivery and achieve the goal of access to all by 2022, when India turns 75.
Being a research organization, WRI India believes evidence-based and inclusive research must inform the public policy discourse. We aim at ensuring that human beings are at the heart of all policy decisions. To this goal, Connect Karo offers a platform to facilitate discussions and knowledge sharing amongst decision makers, researchers and stakeholders.
Connect Karo is part of a global series of events that WRI India organizes and hosts, to bring together Indian and global leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders committed towards designing inclusive, sustainable and climate forward Indian cities. Every year, Connect Karo sees presenters from various fields — air pollution, electric mobility, urban planning, urban water resilience, climate mitigation, and public transit among others — sharing their insights and research findings. The sessions at Connect Karo are specially designed to facilitate engagement between innovators, researchers, political representatives, government agencies, policymakers, businesses, and civil society members, serving as a platform for ideation and collaboration with an eye towards sustainable urban development.
WRI India’s mission is development with a focus on sustainability, equity and livability goals. With these dominant concerns, we look to nurture society to live in ways that protect the planet and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.
About WRI India
WRI India, an independent charity legally registered as the India Resources Trust, provides objective information and practical proposals to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development. Our work focuses on building sustainable and liveable cities and working towards a low carbon economy. Through research, analysis, and recommendations, WRI India puts ideas into action to build transformative solutions to protect the earth, promote livelihoods, and enhance human well-being.
We are inspired by and associated with World Resources Institute (WRI), a global research organisation with more than 1000 experts and other staff around the world.