Recent urban floods in Punjab due to heavy monsoons highlight the urgency of building climate-resilient cities to safeguard lives, the economy, and ecosystems.

• Urban population projected to touch 1 billion in 25 years, creating megacities larger than some countries.

Current Urban Vulnerabilities

• Flooding: As cities expand, over two-thirds of India’s urban population will be exposed to surface flooding, causing projected losses of $5 billion by 2030 and $30 billion by 2070.
• Extreme Heat: Urban heat islands increase night-time temperatures by 3–5°C, raising mortality and lowering productivity.
• Transport Disruptions: One-fourth of roads are flood-prone, where even limited inundation paralyses mobility.
• Housing Risks: Over half of housing stock by 2070 is yet to be built; poor designs risk embedding vulnerabilities.
• Weak Services: Inadequate waste, water, and energy systems worsen floods, pollution, and health shocks.

Need for Climate-Resilient Cities

• Rapid Urbanisation: India’s urban population is projected to rise from 480 million (2020) to nearly 950 million (2050). 
  • With half of the urban infrastructure by 2070 yet to be built, this is the right moment to embed resilience into planning. Without resilience, future cities risk becoming hotspots of disasters and inequality.
  • By 2070, India will need to add 144 million new homes—over twice the current number—plus transport and municipal services to support the growing population.
• Rising Climate Risks: Cities face growing exposure to floods, heatwaves, cyclones, and sea-level rise. 
  • The Chennai floods (2015) and Punjab floods (2023) highlighted how unprepared cities collapse under stress. The IPCC warns that Indian cities are among the most climate-vulnerable globally.
• Economic Imperatives: India loses billions annually due to climate-related urban disasters. 
  • The ILO estimates that 34 million jobs could be lost by 2030 due to heat stress if resilience is ignored. Climate-proof infrastructure reduces recovery costs, attracts foreign investment, and ensures business continuity.
  • India needs $10.95 trillion for climate-resilient urban infrastructure in 30 years—an investment that can save billions, create jobs, spur innovation, and unlock national potential. 
• Social Justice and Equity: Nearly 35% of urban residents live in slums or informal settlements, often in unsafe areas. 
  • Vulnerable groups—women, children, elderly, and migrants—face disproportionate risks. Resilient cities protect these groups, ensuring inclusive growth and preventing climate-induced poverty traps.
• Environmental Sustainability: Encroachment on wetlands, floodplains, and green cover has made cities highly vulnerable. 
  • Resilient planning safeguards ecosystem services like water absorption, carbon sequestration, and temperature regulation. It also promotes renewables, waste-to-energy systems, and sustainable mobility, cutting emissions while adapting to climate risks.
• Governance and Institutional Strengthening: Weak Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and fragmented governance limit preparedness. 
  • Building resilience demands institutional reforms, financial devolution, and integrated planning, enhancing the governance capacity of cities.
• Global and National Commitments: Climate-resilient cities align with India’s Panchamrit commitments (500 GW non-fossil energy by 2030; Net Zero by 2070). 
  • They advance SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), while strengthening India’s role in the Paris Agreement.

Significance of Climate-Resilient Cities

• Safeguarding Lives and Livelihoods: Resilient cities reduce deaths from extreme floods, cyclones, heatwaves, and pollution-related hazards. 
  • For example, the Ahmedabad Heat Action Plan significantly cut heatwave deaths through early warnings and awareness. 
  • They also secure the livelihoods of the urban poor, migrants, and informal workers by ensuring continuity of housing, food, and income, thus preventing displacement and social unrest.
• Economic Stability and Growth: Resilient infrastructure such as storm-water drains and elevated transport corridors minimizes disaster losses. 
  • Protecting workers from heat stress stabilizes productivity, with the ILO warning of 34 million potential job losses by 2030 otherwise. 
  • Reliable, climate-safe infrastructure attracts global investment, strengthening India’s role in supply chains.
• Environmental Sustainability: Resilient cities conserve wetlands, mangroves, lakes, and green belts that regulate floods and temperatures. 
  • The East Kolkata Wetlands improved flood absorption after restoration. They also promote renewable energy, green public transport, and energy-efficient housing, reducing emissions and improving urban health.
• Social Equity and Inclusion: Climate shocks disproportionately impact slum dwellers, women, children, elderly, and migrants. 
  • Resilient planning ensures inclusive housing, healthcare, and social safety nets. By linking resilience to welfare schemes like PMAY-Urban and AMRUT, climate investments benefit the poor and prevent the rise of climate refugees.
• Governance and Institutional Strengthening: Resilience requires strong Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) with authority to enforce zoning, building codes, and disaster plans. 
  • Integrated planning overcomes governance gaps, as seen in the Mumbai Climate Action Plan. 
  • Effective climate management enhances citizen trust and strengthens democratic legitimacy.
• Meeting Global Commitments and National Priorities: Resilient cities support India’s Panchamrit targets, fulfill SDG 11 and SDG 13, and reinforce the Paris Agreement, strengthening India’s case for climate finance and justice.
• Future-Proofing Urbanisation: With half of India’s 2070 housing stock yet to be built, resilience provides a chance to embed sustainability from the outset. 
  • Avoiding lock-in failures like poor drainage or heat islands ensures cities can support nearly 950 million urban residents by 2050.

Key Challenges in Building Climate-Resilient Cities

• Weak Urban Local Bodies (ULBs): 
  • Scarcity of Skilled Staff: Most ULBs lack trained urban planners, environmental engineers, and disaster specialists. For example, out of ~4,000 ULBs in India, very few have in-house GIS experts or climate analysts.
  • Dependence on State Governments: Municipalities rely heavily on state approvals for projects, slowing down climate-responsive action.
  • Capacity Deficit: Training modules under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Smart Cities Mission have started but remain limited.
  • Result: Inadequate capacity hampers enforcement of building codes, zoning regulations, and climate risk assessments.
• Fragmented Governance:
  • Institutional Overlaps: State urban departments, municipal corporations, development authorities, and parastatal agencies (e.g., water boards, transport corporations) often work with conflicting mandates.
  • Delayed Action: During floods, multiple authorities may be responsible for storm-water management, leading to blame-shifting (e.g., Chennai floods 2015).
  • Weak Accountability: Lack of a single nodal authority for urban resilience results in fragmented implementation.
  • Result: Disjointed governance reduces efficiency, wastes resources, and undermines long-term planning.
• Financial Constraints:
  • Low Revenue Base: Municipal revenues are barely 0.75–1% of GDP, far lower than the global benchmark of 3–4%. Property tax collection efficiency remains below 40% in most cities.
  • Limited Climate Finance: Accessing international funds like the Green Climate Fund (GCF) requires technical capacity most ULBs lack.
  • Underutilisation of Bonds & PPPs: Few cities (e.g., Pune, Indore) have tapped municipal bonds or green bonds successfully.
  • Result: Without stable finance, ULBs struggle to invest in resilient infrastructure, relying on short-term reactive spending.
• Unplanned Growth:
  • Encroachment on Natural Buffers: Rapid construction on wetlands, lakes, and floodplains disrupts natural drainage (e.g., Bengaluru’s wetland loss).
  • Haphazard Urbanisation: Expansion driven by real estate speculation rather than planning creates heat islands, traffic congestion, and service deficits.
  • Weak Enforcement: Rampant building code violations, illegal colonies, and weak land-use regulation amplify risks.
  • Result: Cities embed climate risks into their very design, making them structurally vulnerable.
• Social Inequality:
  • Slum Vulnerability: Over 35% of India’s urban population lives in informal settlements, often located on riverbanks, drains, or low-lying areas.
  • Migrants & Informal Workers: Dependent on daily wages and lacking social protection; extreme heat or floods directly threaten livelihoods.
  • Health Inequalities: Limited access to healthcare, clean water, and sanitation worsens disaster outcomes.
  • Result: Climate risks disproportionately burden the urban poor, aggravating inequality and reinforcing poverty-disaster cycles.

Global Initiatives for Best Practices for Climate-Resilient Cities

• Paris Agreement (2015): Legally binding international treaty under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
  • Aims to keep global temperature rise well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
  • Emphasises adaptation, mitigation, and climate finance, particularly for vulnerable urban areas.
• Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030): Adopted at the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan.
  • Prioritises reducing vulnerabilities, strengthening early warning systems, and enhancing urban disaster preparedness.
• New Urban Agenda (2016, Quito): Adopted at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III).
  • Promotes sustainable, compact, inclusive, and resilient cities through integrated planning and governance.
• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, 2015–2030): Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11): Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
  • Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13): Urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
• 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) Initiative (2013–2019): 
  • Launched by the Rockefeller Foundation to help 100 cities build resilience strategies.
  • Supported cities like New York City (United States of America), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Medellín (Colombia).
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: A network of nearly 100 major global cities working together to address climate change.
  • Promotes low-carbon development, resilient infrastructure, and sustainable urban mobility.
• International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) – Local Governments for Sustainability: Global network of over 2,500 cities, towns, and regions.
  • Focuses on sustainable urban development, climate adaptation, and resilience strategies.

World’s Best Practices for Climate-Resilient Cities

• Rotterdam, Netherlands – Water Squares and Adaptive Planning: Built “water plazas” that store excess rainwater during floods and function as public parks during dry seasons.
  • Adopted adaptive delta management to address rising sea levels.
• Copenhagen, Denmark – Cloudburst Management Plan: Introduced blue-green corridors, permeable pavements, and underground storm-water tunnels.
  • Aims to become the world’s first carbon-neutral capital by 2025.
• Singapore – Urban Greening and Smart Water Management: Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Programme integrates water bodies into the urban landscape.
  • Vertical gardens, rooftop greenery, and extensive urban forests reduce the urban heat island effect.
  • The NEWater Project recycles treated wastewater to ensure water security.
• Tokyo, Japan – Heat Island Mitigation and Disaster Preparedness: Implements earthquake-resistant infrastructure, extensive early warning systems, and cool roof technologies.
  • Large-scale urban greening projects help reduce city temperatures.
• New York City, United States of America – PlaNYC and Resiliency Plans: Post Hurricane Sandy (2012), the city invested in coastal barriers, resilient power grids, and flood-proofing infrastructure.
  • Part of the 100 Resilient Cities Initiative.
• Medellín, Colombia – Social Urbanism and Cable Cars: Adopted inclusive urban transport (cable cars), public parks, and green belts.
  • Enhanced resilience by improving service delivery and access in hillside slums.
• Shanghai, China – Sponge City Programme: Uses permeable pavements, wetlands, and green roofs to absorb rainwater.
  • Goal: By 2030, 80% of urban areas should be capable of reusing 70% of rainwater.
• Paris, France – Climate Action Plan: Targets carbon neutrality by 2050.
  • Expands green corridors, cycling infrastructure, and retrofits buildings for energy efficiency.

India’s Initiatives for Climate-Resilient Cities

• Policy and Action Frameworks: 
  • National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC, 2008): Umbrella policy with eight national missions, including the National Mission on Sustainable Habitat focusing on energy efficiency in buildings, solid waste management, and urban transport.
  • State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs): State-level frameworks aligning local needs with NAPCC objectives.
  • National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC, 2015): Provides financial support to projects addressing climate adaptation, including urban resilience.
• Urban Development Missions:
  • Smart Cities Mission (2015): Promotes sustainable and resilient urban infrastructure, including energy-efficient housing, intelligent transport, and integrated urban planning.
  • Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT, 2015): Focuses on urban water supply, sewerage networks, and green spaces to improve resilience.
  • Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-Urban, 2015): Provides affordable housing with scope for integrating disaster-resistant features.
• Climate-Specific Missions and Plans:
  • National Mission on Sustainable Habitat: Encourages green buildings, energy efficiency, waste-to-energy plants, and sustainable transport.
  • National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP, 2013) and Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME-II, 2019): Promote electric vehicles to cut emissions and reduce urban air pollution.
  • National Electric Bus Programme (2022): Focuses on electric bus fleets for urban transport resilience.
• Disaster Risk Management:
  • National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP, 2016, updated 2019): Provides a holistic framework for disaster preparedness and resilience in cities.
  • Heat Action Plans (HAPs): First introduced in Ahmedabad (2013) and scaled across states; include early warnings, public awareness, and cooling centers.
  • Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Rules: Restrict construction in vulnerable coastal areas to protect against cyclones and sea-level rise.
• Urban Ecology and Environment:
  • National Electric Mobility Mission and Solar Rooftop Programme: Integrate renewable energy into urban infrastructure.
  • National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG): Rejuvenates river ecosystems to improve resilience in riverine cities.
  • Urban Forestry under Nagar Van Yojana (2020): Promotes urban forests to mitigate the urban heat island effect.
• Finance and Technology:
  • Green Bonds: Issued by cities like Pune and Indore to finance climate-friendly urban projects.
  • National Electric Vehicle Policy and Incentives: Mobilises investment into low-emission transport.
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping under National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA): Aids risk mapping and smart planning.

India vs Global Best Practices for Climate-Resilient Cities

Way Forward

• Urban Planning and Housing:
  • Disaster-Resistant Codes: Enforce climate-sensitive building codes that account for earthquake zones, flood plains, and heat resilience. 
    • Example: National Building Code (NBC) needs stronger climate integration.
  • Compact City Designs: Promote mixed land use, vertical housing, and transit-oriented development (TOD) to reduce pressure on land and transport systems.
    • Green-Blue Infrastructure: Expand parks, urban forests, and water bodies to act as natural buffers against heat and floods.
• Flood Management:
  • Storm-Water Systems: Upgrade to smart drainage systems with sensors and pumping stations to manage intense rainfall.
  • Wetland & River Restoration: Protect urban wetlands, lakes, and floodplains as natural sponges—learning from Bengaluru’s lake rejuvenation projects.
  • Flood Forecasting & Alerts: Install predictive flood warning systems like Kolkata’s real-time flood forecasting model to provide early evacuation alerts.
  • Nature-Based Solutions: Construct permeable pavements, bioswales, and rain gardens to allow groundwater recharge and reduce waterlogging.
• Heat Resilience:
  • Heat Action Plans (HAPs): Replicate and scale Ahmedabad’s HAP nationwide, with early warnings, public cooling centers, and water kiosks.
  • Green Corridors: Create urban tree belts, shaded footpaths, and rooftop gardens to mitigate urban heat island effect.
  • Cool Roofs & Building Design: Promote reflective paints, ventilated designs, and traditional architecture elements to keep interiors cooler.
  • Water-Sensitive Design: Expand rainwater harvesting and fountains to lower microclimate heat levels.
• Transport Resilience:
  • Risk-Mapping: Use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to identify climate-vulnerable roads, rail, and metro lines.
  • Elevated Corridors: Build flood-resilient flyovers and metro tracks with backup systems. Example: Delhi Metro includes flood protection features in underground sections.
  • Multi-Modal Resilience: Encourage redundant networks (Metro, Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) & Cycling Lanes) so that if one system fails, alternatives remain functional.
  • Sustainable Mobility: Promote electric buses, shared mobility, and pedestrian-friendly designs to reduce emissions and dependency on vulnerable fuel supply chains.
• Municipal Services:
  • Waste Management: Adopt segregation at source, scientific landfill management, and waste-to-energy (WTE) plants. Example: Indore’s zero-waste model sets a benchmark.
  • Water Supply: Ensure dual water pipelines for potable and recycled water. Integrate desalination and groundwater recharge projects in coastal cities.
  • Energy Systems: Build distributed renewable grids (solar rooftops, micro-grids) for uninterrupted supply during disasters.
  • Public Health Preparedness: Expand urban health centers with heat shelters, cooling zones, and vector-borne disease management.
• Governance and Finance:
  • Strengthen Urban Local Bodies (ULBs): Provide financial devolution, technical training, and cadre reforms to empower ULBs.
  • Public–Private Partnerships (PPP): Involve private firms in infrastructure resilience projects, smart grids, and green buildings.
  • Green Bonds & Climate Funds: Scale issuance of municipal green bonds and tap into international climate finance mechanisms like the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
  • Climate Budgeting: Introduce city-level climate budgets to track adaptation and mitigation spending.
    • Over the next three decades, the cost of developing climate-resilient and low-carbon urban infrastructure and services could amount to $10.95 trillion.
• Technology and Capacity Building:
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS): For hazard mapping, zoning, and real-time monitoring.
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI): Use AI for predictive modelling of floods, traffic disruptions, and heat events.
  • Internet of Things (IoT): Deploy IoT sensors in drains, air quality monitors, and water pipelines to detect risks early.
  • Capacity Development: Regular training of urban planners, engineers, and disaster managers. Collaboration with universities and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) for knowledge sharing.

Conclusion

Guided by Article 21 (Right to Life), Article 48A (Environmental Protection), and Article 243W (Empowered Local Governance), India must align urban strategy with  SDG 6 (Clean Water & Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Building climate-resilient cities is both a constitutional duty and a global responsibility, ensuring growth, equity, and sustainability.

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