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New Delhi summit calls for AI in the public interest
One year after co-chairing the AI Action Summit in Paris with France, India hosted the first AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. The goal was to promote artificial intelligence that responds to local needs...
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Strengthening biodiversity cooperation between India and Southern Africa
From Assam, India, to the savannas of Southern Africa, national park managers worldwide are collaborating to better protect biodiversity. The Parks & Biodiversity Partnership program, supported by AFD...
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From Delhi to Paris: India on the path to resilient urban waste management
Faced with rapid urbanization, India is grappling with a major challenge: organizing, modernizing, and financing its solid waste management system. From 7 to 9 July 2025, a delegation of senior Indian...
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A sleek new metro for India’s “Silicon Valley” cuts congestion and smog
Driven largely by its tech industry, Bangalore’s rapid growth has been a boon for India’s economy. But it’s also led to severe traffic congestion and strained infrastructure. The city’s major metro pr...
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Overcoming Economic and Climate Challenges via Sustainable Finance in the Indo-Pacific
More than half the world’s population lives in the Indo-Pacific region, which is also home to a large proportion of the planet’s increasingly endangered biodiversity. Rapidly coming into play however,...
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Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Tea: Combating Counterfeits and Protecting a Prized Industry
Next to water, tea is the most widely consumed drink on the planet. And although Sri Lanka is one of the world’s top producers of the beverage, counterfeit products threaten the country’s own Ceylon t...
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Restoring Ancient Artefacts, Protecting Pakistan’s Heritage and Boosting the Economy
A centuries-old fort and home to some of Pakistan’s most storied heritage has fallen victim to unchecked urban growth and years of decay. But it’s getting a new lease of life. AFD is backing fresh eff...
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Bangladesh: Sorting sanitation to protect the ecosystem
On the southeast coast of Bangladesh, Chattogram is one of the world’s oldest ports with a natural harbor. But the bustling port city struggles to deal with sewage management, which is taking its toll...
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"Cultural and Creative Industries Promote Employment and Social Cohesion"
On October 6-8 in Paris, the first Création Africa forum for cultural and creative industries (CCI) will feature fast-growing sectors such as TV series, animation, video games, and comics. How does AF...
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Overhauling Bangladesh’s Factories, 10 Years on from the Rana Plaza Disaster
The collapse of a factory complex in Bangladesh ten years ago, which killed more than 1100 people, was a stark reminder of the deadly conditions in which factory workers produced name-brand clothing f...
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AFD uses Strong Sustainability to Support Partners’ Transitions to Greener Development
Strong sustainability, the principle that our natural resources are critical and cannot be replaced by any other form of capital, is enjoying a resurgence in development thinking. It’s a riposte to th...
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The Link between Gender Equality and Safe Public Transportation
What if a metro, bus or tramway line could help promote gender equality? If well thought out and designed, urban transport can become a powerful lever for women's safety and empowerment. In Türkiye, a...
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India: National Startup Challenge for Innovative Waste Management
The year 2022 saw major advances in France’s commitment to reducing plastic waste, with its decision to ban plastic packaging for nearly all fruit and vegetables, for example. India is also doing its...
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In India, AFD signs three new agreements during Minister Barbara Pompili’s visit
Accessible public transport, a floating solar power system, and sustainable forest management: such is the wide range of development priorities tackled by France and India this month. In line with AFD...
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Paris Accord: Five years of European partnership in India
Five years after the signing of the Paris Accord, three European ambassadors descended on the Indian city of Kochi, where innovative, low-carbon urban planning serves as a testament to the impact that...
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Post-Covid Cities: A Webinar Series
A webinar series on urban affairs is already looking at how cities can cope in a post-Covid world. What are the ramifications of Covid-19 on urban development? How has it affected access to health an...
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In Bangladesh, Smart Grids Provide Over a Million People With Access to Electricity
François Lhomme is an expert in intelligent electrical networks (“smart grids”) and a project team leader in the Energy Division of Agence Française de Développement (AFD). Here he describes the merit...
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These 12 Indian cities are the future of sustainable urban development
In 2018, the Government of India, Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the European Union (EU) launched the City Investments To Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS) program, which invited I...
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