India Need to Build Climate-Resilient Cities

General Studies Paper-3

In News

• India’s urban transformation is accelerating, with cities poised to generate new jobs and host billions of people.

The Need for Climate-Resilient Urban Futures

• India is undergoing an unprecedented urban transformation. By 2030, cities are expected to generate over 70% of new jobs, and by 2050, nearly a billion people will reside in urban areas.
• This demographic shift presents both an opportunity and a challenge: while cities can be engines of innovation and growth, they are also increasingly vulnerable to climate-induced risks such as floods, heatwaves, cyclones, and water stress.

Steps toward building climate-resilient cities

• It includes integrated urban planning that incorporates climate risk assessments, promotes compact mixed-use development, and manages urban water through catchment-based planning.
• Nature-based solutions focus on restoring wetlands, lakes, and mangroves, expanding urban forests, and encouraging permeable surfaces and green roofs to handle excess rainwater.
• Climate-responsive infrastructure involves upgrading drainage systems, installing flood warning systems, retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency and disaster resilience, and investing in solar-powered transport projects.
• Inclusive governance emphasizes empowering local bodies with climate mandates, engaging citizens in planning, and strengthening institutional capacity at various government levels.
• Financing and innovation are critical, with a focus on mobilizing funds through green bonds and public-private partnerships, aligning national urban missions with climate goals, and supporting climate-tech startups and viable projects.

Challenges

• Flooding threatens two-thirds of urban residents, with projected losses reaching $30 billion by 2070, necessitating integrated solutions such as no-build zones, improved drainage, nature-based interventions, and real-time warning systems—exemplified by Kolkata and Chennai.
• Extreme heat, intensified by urban heat islands, demands scalable measures like cool roofs, tree canopies, and adaptive work schedules.
• Housing Vulnerability: With over 144 million new homes and extensive infrastructure yet to be built by 2070.
• Transportation systems, vulnerable to flooding, require risk mapping, drainage upgrades, and alternative routing to maintain economic continuity.
• Waste & Pollution: Inefficient municipal services contribute to poor air, water, and soil quality, undermining urban livability.

Conclusion and Way Forward

• To address climate challenges, cities need to build institutional capacity, promote collaboration, and get the support of both the government and the citizens.
• Early investments in adaptive infrastructure and inclusive urban planning can prevent billions in damages and save lives.
• Housing must be designed to withstand floods, heat, cyclones, and earthquakes, focusing on compact and forward-looking city layouts.
• Modernizing municipal services, such as waste-to-energy projects, will improve environmental quality and boost urban productivity.