We Request Positive Cities Listing for Bengaluru aka Bangalore, India, under the UN-Habitat World Urban Forum

Three Beacon cities were selected for this listing for their humane approach to animal population and management, especially street dogs, following ICAM's stringent standards at the UN Habitat World Urban Forum at Cairo in 2023 . They were Bangkok,Cape Town and Ilfov, Rumania

Our city Bangalore (now renamed Bengaluru) , Karnataka State, India , also known as India's Silicon Valley,  demonstrates foundational initiative and a clear alignment with humane management strategies as per the Positive Cities' Standards, and therefore should be nominated for this Positive Cities listing

Criterion 1: Proactive Foundation (Past 5 Years)

The Rule: The city must have actively implemented humane dog and cat population management (D/CPM) instead of mass culling or removal.Bengaluru Context: Fully Eligible. Bangalore Municipal Authority, the The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) , now GBA (Greater Bangalore Authority)  has completely shifted away from historical eradication programs to a structured Animal Birth Control (ABC) and Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ARV) model.

Criterion 2: Proven Data Collection

The Rule: To pledge, a city needs a measurable understanding of its animal populations.Bengaluru Context: Highly Eligible. Bengaluru is a model city for animal data collection, having conducted its comprehensive BBMP Street Dog Census. The census used geo-tagging and drone tracking to estimate a declining baseline population of roughly 2.79 lakh stray dogs.

Criterion 3: Institutional Governance

The Rule: Clear accountability lines within the municipal authority rather than outsourcing entirely to third parties.Bengaluru Context: Eligible. The BBMP 9now GBA)  features a dedicated Animal Husbandry Department specifically tasked with coordinating stray animal issues.

Good work done so far , yes,  but a long path lies ahead for the municipality, citizens and animal lovers. This listing will surely motivate all city stakeholders to do more and impact #HumanAnimalCoExistence.  

Bangalore qualifies and should definitely be included in the Global  Positive Cities  list for sure!

Properly managing street animals explicitly supports UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) by eliminating zoonotic diseases like rabies, and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by building inclusive, safer, and cleaner municipal spaces. So by doing this , we are looking at a more well knit and impactful city framework.

We are Positive.  Nominate Bengaluru! 

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Positive Cities : A Background :

The Positive Cities Pledge is a global commitment for local governments to implement humane, sustainable, and effective dog and cat population management. Launched by the International Companion Animal Management (ICAM) Coalition during the UN-Habitat World Urban Forum (WUF12) in Cairo, Egypt, it provides a framework to transition away from cruel eradication methods toward compassionate, data-backed community care.

Core Commitments:

• Humane Management: Prioritizing ethical methods like mass vaccination (especially against rabies) and sterilization over culling.
• Local Collaboration: Partnering directly with regional veterinary clinics, community groups, and local animal welfare NGOs.
• Clear Governance: Explicitly assigning institutional responsibility for companion animal control within the structure of local government.
• Resource Optimization: Committing local funds and municipal infrastructure toward proactive animal care to reduce long-term crisis costs.

Pioneering Cities:

The pledge launched with leadership from three foundational global regions: 

1. Bangkok, Thailand: Focused on massive veterinary job creation and extensive local tracking programs.
2. Cape Town, South Africa: Emphasizing neighborhood safety, lower vehicle-animal collisions, and cleaner public spaces.
3. Ilfov County, Romania: Demonstrating regional, detailed approaches to managing free-roaming street populations.