On vulnerable areas Justice K Chandru: When discussing vulnerable areas today, we often focus on the Western Ranges, particularly because of their proximity to Wayanad and Tamil Nadu’s Western Ghats. This has sparked significant discussion in the media and on social platforms. Historically, the British administration did not prioritise environmental conservation, leaving us with ineffective policies. It’s often said the Forest Act never aimed to save forests but rather to protect them from the government. Indiscriminate practices, like tea gardens and the outdated Sinkona Foundation for malaria drugs, exemplify this legacy. Despite numerous regulations — Private Forest Act, Reserve Forest Act, Hill Area Development Act, Municipality Act — implementation remains poor. For example, a 2008 case regarding illegal constructions in Nilgiris saw 3,333 violations reported by 2015. Despite monitoring and notices, progress stalled due to pending appeals. A monitoring committee was appointed but the Supreme Court stayed the order in 2015. Now, in 2024, the issue remains unresolved. Historically, movements like the one against the Silent Valley dam, which argued against environmental destruction, showed the power of activism. Today, such strong movements are lacking. Effective policy enforcement and judicial action are crucial. The current approach relies too heavily on individual efforts rather than a systematic strategy. Without a concrete mission for sustainable living, discussions alone won’t solve these problems; concrete action is necessary. Therefore, there must be a comprehensive solution. It is not a question of urban versus rural divide anymore. On climate change and urbanisation D Raghunandan: First, urban areas, with their concentration of buildings and concrete, absorb and radiate heat. Modern air conditioning exacerbates this, as cooling interiors releases more heat outside. With climate change adding an extra two degrees Celsius to the existing three to four degrees of urban heat, city temperatures are up to six degrees Celsius higher than rural areas. Second, there is urban flooding. While heavy rains are not new, climate change has intensified them, with storms now dumping 200 to 300 mm of rain in a day instead of over months. Existing drainage systems cannot handle this volume, and urbanisation has blocked natural drainage routes. Cities like Chennai have invested in new drainage systems after the 2015 floods but resource strain persists and is expected to worsen. Third, climate change adds complexity to reducing emissions while cities see increased private vehicle use. More cars mean more emissions and heat, worsening climate change. Additionally, coastal cities face sea level rise and erosion, threatening infrastructure. Climate Central’s maps show significant inundation risks for cities like Chennai and Kochi by 2050. This looming issue highlights the urgent need for adaptation and resilience planning. On climate justice Anant Maringanti: The issue of climate change and its challenges depend on perspective. For someone selling air conditioners, climate change is a market opportunity driven by increasing heat. However, we need to consider whether heat, flooding and sea level rise are symptoms of deeper problems or the problems themselves. Underlying issues include a lack of institutional capacity to address climate challenges, evident over the past 30 years. Our urban governance has historically treated urban space as real estate, with mismatched engineering and political jurisdictions, and lacking a governance structure for managing watersheds and larger urban regions. For example, Hyderabad’s floods have recurred due to urbanisation converting land into property, neglecting ecological concerns and failing to manage water bodies effectively. Urbanisation has changed land use from productive assets to properties, disrupting ecological management. To address climate change, we must rethink land use values beyond exchange value and adapt urban planning to these values. Additionally, informal settlements suffer extreme heat due to poor construction, with residents exposed to harsh conditions. To tackle these issues, we must improve our methods, data and institutional frameworks to address the challenges more effectively. On climate resilience Sabareesh Suresh: Cities now need to be climate resilient due to the increasing frequency and intensity of climate events. As Dr Anant noted, climate change affects precipitation and temperature, with both intensifying. Floods that used to be rare are now occurring frequently, as seen in 2015, 2017 and 2023. The IPCC reports that such events will continue to increase. At C40, we help cities build evidence for climate action. For example, to achieve carbon neutrality, cities need to understand their emissions and identify key areas for intervention. For Chennai, a member since 2016, we supported the launch of the Chennai City Climate Action Plan, which aims for carbon neutrality and water balance by 2050. Chennai’s unique geography, with abundant water in the first half of the year and scarcity in the latter, requires effective water management strategies. The action plan includes 180 actions across sectors like energy, waste management, transportation, urban planning and biodiversity. As we work towards implementation, we focus on evidence-building and overcoming policy and regulatory challenges. For instance, developing a rooftop solar policy involves addressing policy levers and regulatory hurdles. Combining this with capacity building and public awareness enhances adoption. This support helps cities like Chennai implement effective strategies. If we don’t change our methods, data and institutions, we will have serious challenges. On action plans Anshul Mishra: Climate change is a long-standing issue but concrete action to address it is recent. Extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rains, challenge traditional 20-year master planning norms, making it difficult to manage these sudden events. Urban planning, including efforts like the JNNURM scheme, is catching up to these issues.We are currently preparing the third master plan, gathering evidence on phenomena like the heat island effect and conducting flood mapping for Chennai’s metropolitan area with Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) help. This includes mapping water flow and drainage issues and developing micro and macro drainage plans. While GCC is working on its part, a comprehensive plan is needed for the entire Chennai metropolitan area, including a climate action plan supported by C40. Additionally, we are studying blue-green infrastructure to address the loss of green and water areas due to urbanisation. This involves protecting existing green spaces, implementing river-based planning to prevent encroachment and developing comprehensive lake rejuvenation plans. Regulations are being drafted to manage development near rivers to mitigate flooding. The climate action plan will be integrated into the third master plan, informed by 26 evidence-based studies and extensive stakeholder input from around 50,000 participants, focussing on resilience and sustainability.
