Cities must tread cautiously in ‘dangerous decade’

The beginning years of the ongoing decade have been disastrous for humanity. Cities were at the forefront bearing the brunt and also working on strengthening artillery and ammunition to be better placed in these wars and win.
The year 2023 brings a sliver of hope for Indian cities and provides them with a chance to take a leading position on key urban matters and address concerns with global collaboration. India is hosting the G20 Summit this year. And, the City of Ahmedabad will be the chair of the Urban20 engagement group in which several participating and observer cities of U20 will join urban stakeholders to find practical solutions to serious urban challenges.
India is among the fastest-growing economies in the world. It is important to note that the growth prospect of India’s economy looks brighter even during the gloomy economic situation around the world. India is already risen to become the 5th largest economy in the world. Despite these impressive economic indicators, India faces significant development challenges, including poverty, malnutrition, and environmental degradation. And, if the nation has to maintain its growth, it has to take some drastic measures in mitigation and adaptation so that the ongoing infrastructure projects and service delivery become more energy efficient and sustainable.

Local context and urban challenges

India is now the most populous country in the world, about 18 per cent of the world’s population lives here. Along with multiple urban issues including overburdening on municipal resources and services, many of its cities, like anywhere else, are vulnerable to climate change impacts. Its cities are already feeling the effects of global warming, with temperatures on the rise, water shortages, and air pollution becoming increasingly common.
Cities are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to their high population densities, limited resources, and exposure to extreme weather events. In recent years, several Indian cities have been severely impacted by floods, droughts, and heat waves. Climate change is expected to exacerbate these extreme weather events in the future, making it even more important for cities to take steps to protect their residents.
India must take urgent action if it is to stand any chance of addressing its climate crisis in the coming years. There are some obvious solutions including enhancing existing infrastructure and efficient urban planning to create resilient communities, promoting public transit, encouraging energy efficiency, and investing in renewable energy sources. These solutions sound simple but aren’t easy to implement for a variety of reasons.
There is no doubt that urban growth will continue. Of course, it is important to accelerate the economic growth rate and overall prosperity. But the policymakers need to be mindful that the growth does not come at a cost of environmental degradation. It is indeed true that the increasing population in urban areas will demand more infrastructural development and rendering of services but it also provides an opportunity for sustainable development in new and existing urban agglomerations. Cities need to learn the means to capitalize on the opportunities. India will need to focus on smart city infrastructure, green technologies, and sustainable development. This includes improving public transport systems, promoting electric vehicles, incentivizing renewable energy sources, and making buildings more energy efficient.
Additionally, cities will need to invest in digital infrastructure such as broadband networks to enhance business efficiency and facilitate the sharing of data between public and private institutions. To ensure access to clean water for all citizens, India will have to use solutions such as rainwater harvesting and wastewater recycling. Finally, urban development initiatives must create jobs and promote social inclusion by empowering marginalised communities.

Nature-based solutions

In addition to technology-based solutions to tackle climate change, another important way cities can fight this war is by investing in green infrastructure. This includes things like planting trees, constructing green roofs, and creating rain gardens. Green infrastructure helps absorb rainfall and reduce runoff, which can help prevent flooding during heavy rains. It also provides much-needed shade and cooling during heat waves in countries like India. Other ways could be advocacy of such ways of life among residents. Cities can encourage people to use less polluting transportation options, such as public transit, biking, and walking. This not only reduces emissions from vehicles but also helps improve air quality in urban areas. For this, they have to provide them with convenient options and enabling infrastructure. For example, people need to feel safe while walking on roads. In cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, many incidents are reported regularly that pedestrians and cyclists meet with fatal accidents because walkways and cycle lanes either don’t exist or are encroached upon, forcing people to use roads and endangering themselves being hit by fast-moving vehicles. Certain learnings can be adopted from developing countries such as Europe where pedestrians and cyclists have first right on streets and are respected. There is also an issue of enabling a local culture where pedestrians are given priority. Amsterdam, Brussels and for that matter, most European cities are good examples.

Agenda for 2023

From setting new agendas and resolutions, to committing to doing better than yesteryears, there is always so much pressure around starting a new year. India is at a crossroads between the aggressive growth of urbanisation and lacking resources to support it environmentally. The urban development paradigm needs to change from an investment-led approach to one that values service delivery outcomes within a framework that incorporates environmental sustainability, social inclusion and economic development.
In this new year, India has many opportunities to align its urban priorities and also advocate for the same at the global level. The City of Ahmedabad along with many other cities in India will organise a series of events under Urban20. These events can be a platform to bring all local governments together and set a national urban agenda to accelerate local actions on pressing urban challenges and find solutions with global collaborations. The beginning of the series of events is happening with the Sherpa Meeting on February 9-10, 2023 in which several participating and observer cities from around the world will take part. Indian cities must leverage this opportunity for setting their local agenda, prioritise their targets and forge global engagement for benefitting from the experiences of cities which are torchbearers of some great initiatives.

The new year will be a year of heightened concerns relating to the impacts of climate change on cities. These concerns are becoming serious by the day. The ongoing decade has been termed the most dangerous decade after World War II. The first couple of years have been telling. The covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine War and the impacts of climate change all over the world, and the intensifying economic slowdown are causing concerns. Cities need to tread cautiously and take every step judiciously

From setting new agendas, and resolutions to committing to doing better than yesteryears, there is always so much pressure around starting a new year. India is at a crossroads between the aggressive growth of urbanisation and lacking resources to support it environmentally. The urban development paradigm needs to change from an investment-led approach to one that values service delivery outcomes within a framework that incorporates environmental sustainability, social inclusion and economic development