On January 19, ISD was invited to present at the Global Impact Forum 2026. The event was organized by the Indo-Swiss Center, a Switzerland-based organization that supports Indian businesses in entering India-Switzerland economic partnerships.
The event took place in Regensdorf, Zurich, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. The audience included over 80 business leaders from diverse sectors, particularly a large delegation from Maharashtra and the city of Mumbai.
Sponge Park Mumbai Project
ISD presented an ongoing project that proposes a capacity-building initiative with municipal engineers to co-develop methods and tools for the effective implementation of green-blue infrastructures (Sponge Parks) in Mumbai. The knowledge transfer and hands-on training workshops will result in multiple pilot projects, partially funded by the city of Mumbai, as part of a large, city-wide Sponge Park initiative.
The project identifies and unlocks barriers to mainstreaming urban Nature-based Solutions for climate resilience, flood mitigation, biodiversity, and public health improvement. It includes institutional policy research, the development of spatial design and implementation tools, and the testing and application of remote-sensing monitoring technology.
The project is developed by ISD in collaboration with Eawag (research), Sponge Collaborative (local implementation partner), and 360 Carbon (technology partner).
Sourav Kumar Biswas (Sponge Collaborative), Hannes Zander (ISD), and Clive Hildering (360 Carbon) at the 2026 Global Impact Forum