{"id":60621,"date":"2024-09-26T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-26T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/idronline.org\/?post_type=article&p=60621"},"modified":"2026-01-14T18:49:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T13:19:40","slug":"why-urban-india-needs-climate-action-plans-now","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/idronline.org\/kn-in\/article\/climate-emergency\/why-urban-india-needs-climate-action-plans-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate action plans for India’s emerging cities"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cities are both drivers of progress and key contributors to climate change. Despite occupying just 3 percent<\/a> of the planet’s land area, these vital centres of modern civilisation generate 70 percent<\/a> of global carbon dioxide (CO2<\/sub>) emissions due to their dense population and energy-intensive infrastructure. Halfway through the century, 70 percent of the global population will live in cities, making existing urban areas denser, warmer, and more prone to floods.<\/p>

India itself is on the quick march to urbanisation, with 40 megacities<\/a> and 2,500 rapidly growing towns. By 2030, half<\/a> of India’s population will live in these cities, placing them squarely in the path of climate’s fiercest challenges: heatwaves and floods. One study shows that urbanisation has enhanced warming in Indian cities by 60 percent<\/a> compared to surrounding non-urban areas. Urban floods, on the other hand, impacted 162.5 percent<\/a> more people in 2021 than in 2012.<\/p>

Climate impacts take a heavy toll<\/a> on urban residents, triggering vector-borne diseases, threatening livelihoods, and undermining the overall quality of life, particularly for the socially and economically disadvantaged. <\/p>

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Yet, there is hope. As India’s urban landscape continues to develop, the country has the unique opportunity to construct cities that not only withstand climate crises but prosper despite them. The solution lies in the climate action plan<\/a> (CAP), a comprehensive framework designed to transform these emerging urban centres into models of resilience and sustainability.<\/p>

The ABC of a CAP<\/h3>

A climate action plan (CAP), in the Indian context, is a strategic framework designed to address climate change at the urban level. It aims to measure and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, enhance resilience to climate impacts, and promote sustainable urban development.<\/p>

Aga Khan Agency for Habitat – India<\/a> (AKAH) is an organisation working to build habitats that are resilient to disasters and climate change. It has been working with Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation<\/a> (MBMC), a growing city in western Maharashtra, to design and implement<\/a> a CAP that will guide the next few decades of its development. The CAP is part of the AKAH’S Urban Habitat Risk Resilience (UHRR) programme, which aims to showcase integrated solutions that address the urban heat island effect<\/a> through cooling and energy-efficient solutions for the built environment.<\/p>

Situated north of Mumbai, in the district of Thane, Mira Bhayandar is a 79-sq-km urban area that was a loose agglomeration of 19 villages not long ago. In the last 30 years, rapid urbanisation has resulted in a 393.94 percent increase in its built-up area, owing chiefly to its proximity to Mumbai. This urban expansion has led, among other things, to a temperature difference ranging from 0.95°C to 1.27°C between the city centre and its outskirts. The mean land surface temperature now varies from 30°C to 47°C. Rising heat, coupled with the critical need to mitigate the imminent impacts of climate change, prompted the MBMC to formulate a climate action plan for the city.<\/p>

The key components of a CAP are:<\/p>

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