Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Urban Academy (OUA) on Tuesday hosted a strategic interaction with noted urban governance expert Dr. O.P. Agarwal to discuss sustainable urbanisation, climate resilience and the development of future-ready cities in Odisha.

The session was chaired by Housing and Urban Development Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee and attended by Director Municipal Administration Arindam Dakua, senior officials of the Housing and Urban Development Department, urban planners and development professionals.

The deliberations focused on strengthening urban governance systems, improving service delivery and enhancing the capacity of Odisha’s rapidly growing urban centres to tackle the challenges posed by urbanisation and climate change.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Agarwal underlined the importance of robust institutions, skilled human resources and evidence-based policymaking in building resilient and sustainable cities. He commended Odisha for its progress in urban infrastructure development and public service delivery, while encouraging the state to adopt innovative approaches and globally informed best practices tailored to local requirements.

Speaking on the occasion, Usha Padhee reiterated the Odisha government's commitment to creating citizen-centric and climate-resilient urban ecosystems. She stressed the importance of continuous capacity building and highlighted the upgraded training and residential facilities at the Odisha Urban Academy.

She also pointed to the Academy’s demonstration units on sewage treatment, septage management and resource recovery as valuable platforms for hands-on learning and professional development for urban governance practitioners.

Participants explored modern approaches to capacity building, including hybrid training methods, experiential learning and benchmarking urban services against national and international standards to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

The interaction forms part of the Odisha Urban Academy’s ongoing efforts to strengthen municipal leadership and promote knowledge-driven urban development across the state. With recent institutional upgrades and strategic collaborations, the Academy is positioning itself as a leading centre for urban governance, innovation and sustainable city management in India.

The event underscored Odisha’s growing focus on building resilient, inclusive and future-ready urban centres capable of meeting the evolving needs of citizens while addressing environmental and climate-related challenges.