Mains Marathon

Approach :

• Begin by explaining how urban India is an emerging climate risk hotspot.
• Analyse the catalytic role of key stressors.
• Conclude with a suitable way forward.

Introduction:

India’s urban areas, once symbols of economic opportunity and modernization, are increasingly becoming climate risk hotspots due to the cumulative impact of environmental stressors. In India, where the urban population is expected to rise from 35% in 2021 to 40% by 2030, unplanned growth has exacerbated climate risks, driven by hydrological stress, waste mismanagement, and anthropogenic heat islands.

Body

The catalytic role of key stressors

• Hydrological Stress : Urban India faces paradoxical hydrological challenges—water scarcity during summers and floods during monsoons.
  • Cities like Chennai and Delhi face acute groundwater crises due to over-extraction and declining recharge areas.
  • Bengaluru has lost 80% of its lakes since 1960, affecting stormwater storage and increasing flood vulnerability.
  • The Chennai floods of 2015 and Hyderabad floods of 2020 were aggravated by poor drainage systems and blocked natural channels.
  • According to NITI Aayog, 21 Indian cities may run out of groundwater by 2030, turning hydrological stress into a key climate multiplier.
• Mismanaged Waste Ecosystems: Indian cities generate approximately 1.5 lakh tonnes of municipal solid waste daily (CPCB, 2021), with only 30–35% being scientifically processed.
  • Sites like Ghazipur (Delhi) and Deonar (Mumbai) release methane and toxic gases, contributing to urban air pollution and public health hazards.
  • Non-biodegradable waste chokes drains, exacerbating waterlogging and vector-borne diseases during monsoons.
  • Improper disposal adds to the toxic load in urban environments, posing serious health and ecological risks.
• Anthropogenic Heat Islands: The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is a phenomenon where city cores exhibit 3–5°C higher temperatures than surrounding areas due to heat-absorbing surfaces and a lack of vegetation.
  • Excessive construction with heat-retaining materials and shrinking green spaces intensify heat waves.
  • Increase particulate matter and ozone, contributing to respiratory ailments and worsening heat impacts.
  • Ahmedabad’s 2010 heatwave killed over 1,300 people, prompting the city to launch India’s first Heat Action Plan.

Conclusion:

India’s efforts through AMRUT, Smart Cities Mission, and National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) aim to build sustainable cities aligned with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Cities must shift from being victims of climate change to leaders in climate resilience and adaptation.