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In a series of developments in terms of our understanding of climate change and the threats it poses to India, the latest report hints at a worrisome future for the country, particularly its cities. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as part of its sixth assessment report listed potential forms of impact in the immediate future, casting grim warning towards India’s mega-cities.
With India’s urban population growing at a significant pace year after year, its teeming infrastructure is vulnerable to rising sea levels and frequent heatwaves. If the national carbon emissions were to continue at the current levels, this would hold drastic consequences for India’s most vulnerable regions, particularly its big cities.
Mumbai and Ahmedabad are two cities highlighted as case studies in this particular report. Frequent extreme weather conditions involving flooding and sea-level rise are impending concerns for the immediate future of Mumbai and its vast population. With the rise in global temperature, Ahmedabad is expected to witness a substantial increase in heat waves that could eventually turn the city into a ‘heat island’.
“Urban India is at greater risk than other areas with a projected population of 877 million by 2050, nearly double of 480 million in 2020. Currently, urbanisation in the country is at 35 per cent, which is likely to increase to 40 per cent in the next 15 years. Mega-cities are growing faster, and even smaller centres are growing rapidly.”
— Professor Anjal Prakash of IPCC to the Indian Express
With a sombre future awaiting, Indian cities may have lost the race against time to control the damages that are to be caused by climate change. Adaptation rather than prevention is the need of the hour and it is the collective efforts of the citizens and the state to act on effective measures to make the transition happen.
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