Exposure: officials from Leh, India visit the 9th World Urban Forum in Malaysia

International Best Practices: Exposure and Reflection

BORDA organised a visit for nine Leh government officials to Malaysia (3rd-11th Feb 2018) to provide them with exposure to best practices that can be applied in Leh Town to make it a better place to live.

The visit took place in the overall context of BORDA’s engagement in Leh, where BORDA supports city-wide FSM services and urban planning and helps to create examples of liveable and walkable cities. The BORDA team was highly impressed with the participation, enthusiasm and hard work of the participants during the trip.

During the visit, the Leh officials attended the Ninth World Urban Forum dealing with various urban issues including transport, water, sanitation, housing, utilities, and public spaces. The visit was divided into two segments: exposure to examples of good infrastructure and planning that were presented at the Forum’s daily sessions, and discussions of these examples during evening sessions. Local partners filled in the details and history of Malaysia’s positive changes.

In the discussion sessions, the Leh officials addressed the following questions:

• Keep imagining - how should an ideal Leh Town look in 2030?
• How can we best handle water and sanitation for Leh Town?
• How can we best handle public space and transportation?
• Identify things that you can or cannot do in Leh Town.
• What do we do so that Leh Town becomes a hub for more business and happiness?
• What are the ways and means for strengthening the Municipal Committee and its services?

Outlook

In keeping with urbanisation trends around the world, 60-80% of the Ladakh district’s population will soon reside in the city of Leh (temporarily or permanently), and 60-70% of the district’s income will be generated in Leh or through Leh. Hence, it is clear that Leh’s residents and leaders must work towards handling this change. BORDA is committed to supporting Leh city officials in taking this step.