Understanding India's Urban Climate Crisis

India’s Urban Climate Crisis

What is it?

India’s urban climate crisis refers to the growing risks faced by Indian cities due to climate change, especially in the form of:

• Rising heat stress
• Increased urban flooding
• Air and water pollution
• Infrastructure strain

As per World Bank data, 70% of India’s 2050 urban infrastructure is yet to be built. Cities are becoming metabolically unsustainable due to energy-intensive, heat-emitting growth patterns. Vulnerable groups in low-income zones are most affected by these stresses.

Why is it happening?

• Urban Heat Islands: Cities like Delhi and Chennai are registering higher temperatures due to dense construction and limited greenery.
• Stormwater Management: Inadequate drainage and encroachment on water bodies worsen flooding risks.
• Housing and Informal Settlements: Over 1,500 lives were lost in flood-prone areas in the last decade due to inadequate planning.
• Structural Inequality: Climate impacts fall disproportionately on low-income groups with poor access to cooling, housing, or healthcare.

What is being done?

• Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework: Adopted by over 100 cities to identify risks and prepare urban responses.
• Heat Action Plans: Like in Ahmedabad, these have helped reduce over 1,100 deaths annually since 2013.
• Housing Support: The Ahmedabad Slum Rehabilitation project provides affordable housing with cool roofs and microfinance.
• Green Bonds: Government efforts fund climate-resilient infrastructure through innovative financial instruments.

Way Forward

• Right to Resilient City: A proposed legal step to guarantee equitable climate adaptation access.
• Community Engagement: Solutions like cool roofs and rainwater harvesting should be scaled with local participation.
• Resilient Planning: Focus on heat management, flood-proof construction, green public spaces, and early warning systems.
• Holistic Urban Governance: Shift from top-down, colonial frameworks to inclusive, regional planning with flexible, adaptive infrastructure models.