The built environment, which accounts for a significant share of global emissions and resource consumption, plays an instrumental role in either exacerbating the climate crisis or mitigating impacts and enabling adaptation. Cities and Built Infrastructure will continue to be exposed to higher climate stresses and frequent climate shocks, thereby disrupting lives, damaging property and harming the natural environment. Therefore, it is imperative to build climate-resilient infrastructure and adaptive cities that continue to protect, provide and thrive sustainably in harmony with nature.

Nations around the world are united by a shared goal of building a sustainable and climate-resilient future. While each country faces distinct challenges owing to its development stage and resource availability, collective action remains fundamental. In this global transition, India emerges as a catalyst driving scalable, inclusive solutions, advancing clean energy transitions and shaping policies that strive to prioritize both environmental stewardship and equitable growth.

Now is the time to embark on transformative efforts and revolutionize our design processes, construction practices and operation and management of built spaces. As the urgency for climate action intensifies, traditional approaches, while foundational, are not sufficient considering the pace and complexities of the challenges ahead. Innovation must be the driving force in shaping a resilient future across sectors and scales. It must steer the next phase of global, national & regional efforts, making climate action inclusive, resilient and sustainable. Innovation propels the development of novel technologies and approaches; however, it alone is not sufficient. It must be coupled with resilience- the ability to respond, adapt, recover and thrive in the face of shocks. Together, innovation and resilience form the bedrock for building a sustainable future.

As part of its continued commitment to advancing inclusive and climate-resilient infrastructure, GRIHA Council is hosting its 8th Regional Conclave centred around the theme “Innovate to Act for a Climate Resilient World”. The conclave will be held on 12th September 2025, Friday, at Noor-us-Sabah Palace, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. This regional conclave forms an integral part of the lead-up to the prestigious national annual event - 17th GRIHA summit scheduled on 3rd November – 4th November 2025 in New Delhi.

The regional conclave intends to serve as a platform to deliberate innovative and actionable strategies that can transform our climate ambitions into tangible outcomes. Recognizing the pivotal role of regional insights in shaping a resilient and sustainable future, the conclave seeks to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders- innovators, policymakers, industry leaders, architects, engineers, product manufacturers, researchers and urban practitioners to convene for a day to ‘discuss, innovate, adapt’ and ‘collaborate & act’ on strategies that have the potential to build a climate-resilient world.

Let‘s forge meaningful and impactful collaborations to advance innovation in creating a sustainable, resilient and inclusive built environment.