Centre of Excellence in the area of Urban Development on “Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation” (2009)
(A) Rapid Assessment of Vulnerabilities (RAV) to Climate Change of Indian Cities
RAV is accomplished for 14 key cities in India based on various indicators of vulnerability to climate change so as to strengthen the national policy framework. IRADe’s approach and methodological framework include developing an index to assess the vulnerability to climate change of Indian cities, generating baseline data pertaining to urban development in terms of socio-economic and infrastructure aspects in order to recommend adaptation strategies, which can help in formulating efficient urban policies and programmes.
(B) Addressing Climate Resilience for Cities of India: Case Studies of Surat and Haridwar
This includes a review of city development plan of two cities, namely Surat and Haridwar. The study analyzes the potential threats of climate change and adaptation options in urban planning. Based on this analysis, some policy actions for resilience and climate change adaptation were suggested, that could be implemented by the local urban/municipal bodies. IRADe also aims to link the work to City Development Plans (CDP) and Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM)
Surat: Surat is an important commercial hub as well as one of the fastest growing cities of India. Surat is a highly flood prone city and also faces threats of sea level rise. Around 30 per cent population lives in slum without adequate infrastructure and public services. The study identified the areas of climate vulnerability and adaptations measures to be included into city development plans, and capacity of local bodies should be enhanced to ensure climate resilience.
Haridwar: The city of Haridwar, besides being a very important place of pilgrimage, is also a major destination for tourism and industries in the state of Uttarakhand. There are considerable number of migrants, tourists and pilgrims and rapid urbanization of the city. Climate change is likely to increase the intensity of the summer monsoon and lead to increased risks of flooding, water logging and landslides. IRADe’s study recommends quantifying the potential climate change impacts and adaptation options at the local level, to engage decision-makers from householders to the government, Urban local bodies (ULBs) and major corporations in and generate awareness of climate change.
Sponsored by : Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) , Government of India