Institute for Sustainable Development and Governance (ISDG) Information

The Institute for Sustainable Development and Governance (ISDG), which became operational in 2012, is the governance and development programme of the Centre for Communication and Development Studies, Pune. ISDG, through its primary focus areas of policy research and capacity building, seeks to strengthen democratic governance, guarantee sustainable human development, and assure inclusive participation of people in democratic institutions. ISDG, as the governance and development arm of CCDS, invests its efforts in three specific areas: a) Participatory Urban Governance focused on budget transparency and accountability, civic participation, and alleviating urban poverty b) Policy and Budget Analysis, and Advocacy and Social Watch of democratic institutions c) Empowerment of Women and Youth ISDG played an instrumental role in disaster relief, food security, and rehabilitation during the 2018 and 2019 Kerala Floods. In addition, ISDG recognized the long-term threat of climate change in Kerala and has advocated medium and long-term resilience building and disaster mitigation through research, communication, and civic awareness. Although most of ISDG's work has taken place in Kerala, ISDG expects to grow as a national strategic resource centre in the future.