Syllabus: Urbanisation
Source: IE
Context: India’s cities, projected to house nearly a billion people by 2070, face rising risks from flooding, heat waves, cyclones, and earthquakes, prompting urgent calls for climate-resilient urban planning.
About Building Climate-Resilient Cities in India:
Current Status of Urban Cities & Climate Vulnerabilities:
- Flooding: Unchecked urbanisation and poor drainage make two-thirds of residents vulnerable; economic damages may cross $30B by 2070.
- Extreme Heat: Concrete-heavy cities trap heat, making them 3–5°C hotter, increasing deaths, health risks, and productivity losses.
- Transport: A quarter of roads are flood-prone, where even partial submergence can paralyse half the transport system in major cities.
- Housing: More than half of future housing stock is yet to be built; poor design choices risk locking in vulnerabilities for decades.
- Municipal Services: Weak waste, drainage, and energy systems aggravate pollution and climate shocks, undermining resilience.
Need for Climate-Resilient Cities:
- Safeguard Lives: Rising disasters like floods and heatwaves threaten millions; resilience reduces mortality and displacement.
- Protect Economy: Cities generate 70%+ of jobs and GDP; climate-safe infrastructure ensures continuity of growth.
- Promote Inclusion: Climate-resilient design protects the urban poor who suffer most during disasters.
- Reduce Losses: Investing in resilience lowers long-term costs and makes cities more attractive for global capital.
Challenges Associated:
- Weak ULBs: Local bodies lack staff, funds, and expertise to integrate climate resilience into planning.
- Fragmented Governance: Overlapping responsibilities between state, city, and parastatal agencies delay action.
- Financial Constraints: Limited municipal revenue and slow access to international climate finance stall projects.
- Poor Planning: Encroachment on wetlands and floodplains amplifies flood risks and weakens ecosystems.
- Inequality: Slum dwellers and migrants live in hazard-prone zones with minimal protection or relief access.
Initiatives Taken in India:
- NAPCC & SAPCCs: Provide national and state-level frameworks to mainstream climate adaptation.
- Sustainable Habitat Mission: Targets greener buildings, efficient transport, and resilient waste systems.
- Smart Cities Mission & AMRUT: Embed resilience in core urban infrastructure projects.
- Heat Action Plans: Ahmedabad pioneered early warning, cooling centres, and public awareness, now scaled to other states.
- PMAY-Urban: Potential to integrate climate-smart housing for millions under Housing for All.
Strategies for Climate-Resilient Cities:
- Urban Planning: Adopt compact designs, restrict construction in high-risk areas, and enforce disaster-resistant building codes.
- Flood Management: Develop modern drainage, restore wetlands, and deploy predictive flood warning systems.
- Heat Resilience: Expand tree canopies, cool roofs, and shaded corridors while adjusting outdoor labour hours.
- Transport: Build elevated and redundant road/metro systems that remain functional during floods.
- Municipal Services: Upgrade waste, water, and sanitation networks with climate-proof and circular economy principles.
- Finance & Partnerships: Mobilise funds via PPPs, green bonds, and climate funds, alongside citizen participation.
- Capacity Building: Train ULB staff, use GIS/AI risk mapping, and enhance institutional resilience at local levels.
Conclusion:
India’s urban future depends on how well cities adapt to climate uncertainties. Climate-resilient planning is not just about disaster management but about ensuring sustainable economic growth, social equity, and ecological balance. The window for action is narrow — the time to build resilience is now.
