The Bengaluru Sustainability Forum (BSF) is a multi-institutional collaborative initiative that brings together diverse voices to engage with the long-term sustainability of urban and peri-urban landscapes. Our primary focus is on urban commons and public goods such as water, air, soil, and biodiversity through a city-specific lens, rooted in Bengaluru.
At its heart, BSF is a platform for dialogue, learning, and connection. We believe that to meaningfully address the complexities of sustainability in a city like Bengaluru, we need interdisciplinary thinking and inter-sectoral collaboration along with the active participation of diverse communities. That’s why we create spaces for researchers, policy makers, civil society actors, educators, artists, entrepreneurs, citizen groups, and others to listen, share, and act.
Our approach is multi-pronged.
Convening conversations: We host invitation-based retreats and deliberations that provide space for open, reflective dialogue on themes such as water, biodiversity, urban resilience, and climate change. These gatherings are designed to break silos, spark collaborations, and surface diverse perspectives.
Seeding local action: While BSF is not a traditional funding agency, our Small Grants Programme offers seed support for locally rooted, innovative projects that bridge the gap between research and action. These projects often lead to new insights, networks, and real-world impact.
Reaching the wider public: Through workshops, webinars, film festivals, podcasts, exhibitions, interactive games, and community events, BSF takes sustainability conversations beyond academic and policy spaces and into the public realm.
Read more about how it all started (PDF).
