Visakhapatnam wins a USD 1 million global grant in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge 2025โ2026 for its citizen-led climate resilience initiative, VizagโPrajamukhi Urban Living Lab (V-PULL), selected among 630 cities worldwide.
The flagship model of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation was recognised for its hyperlocal, citizen-centric approach to mitigating floods, cyclones, and heatwaves through participatory governance and data-driven solutions. Pilot interventions, ward-level meetings, and community feedback mechanisms strengthened bottom-up governance and disaster preparedness.
GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg said the award reinforces the belief that citizen-driven innovation can transform cities. The grant will be used to expand initiatives, enhance disaster preparedness, and scale the V-PULL model across more wards, placing Visakhapatnam alongside global cities like Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona, Toronto, and Cape Town on the international climate innovation platform.