Lack of Environmental Planning
Exacerbating Climate Change Risks
in Urban India: Experiences
from Megacities of Bengaluru and Mumbai
S. Manasi and Nidhi Jamwal
Abstract The world is urbanizing fast and climate change impacts are already
being felt in urban agglomerations across the globe. The United Nations Report has
projected that India will add 404 million urban inhabitants by 2050 (World
Urbanization Prospects 2014). Because of high population densities and increased
industrial activities, cities contribute to climate change and also face serious risks
due to impacts of climate change. Being engines of growth, cities are a hub of
economic centres, thus, economic losses due to climate changes are expected to be
significantly high in urban areas making them extremely vulnerable to disasters. In
spite of growing evidence of climate change impacts on Indian cities, both the state
authorities and the civic bodies are unable to wed urban planning exercise with
environmental planning. Current plans and policies are not holistic, and fail to meet
the future escalating demands of urban population and possible urban disasters.
This paper explores these issues through two case studies of Indian megacities—
Bengaluru in Karnataka and Mumbai in Maharashtra. Former focuses on problems
faced by urban residential communities located in low-lying areas of the city. Poor
urban planning and mindless construction mania has accentuated cases of urban
flooding in Bengaluru. The second case study of Mumbai looks at the July 2005
floods when the entire metropolis was marooned due to unprecedented heavy
rainfall. It puts in perspective various scientific studies that show impacts of climate
change in Mumbai and the associated risks. Both the cases re-emphasise the fact
that urban planning is not a top-to-down approach and it cannot be done undertaken
in isolation. In wake of growing evidence of climate change impacts in urban areas,
it is imperative that a holistic “environmental urban planning” is undertaken to help
Indian cities adapt to climate change.
S. Manasi (&)
Centre for Research in Urban Affairs, Institute for Social and Economic Change,
Dr. VKRV Rao Raod, Nagarabhavi, Bangalore 560072, India
e-mail: manasi@isec.ac.in
N. Jamwal
Environment Journalist, Mumbai, India
e-mail: nidhijamwal@gmail.com
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
S. Nautiyal et al. (eds.), Climate Change Challenge (3C)
and Social-Economic-Ecological Interface-Building, Environmental Science,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-31014-5_28
449
Exacerbating Climate Change Risks
in Urban India: Experiences
from Megacities of Bengaluru and Mumbai
S. Manasi and Nidhi Jamwal
Abstract The world is urbanizing fast and climate change impacts are already
being felt in urban agglomerations across the globe. The United Nations Report has
projected that India will add 404 million urban inhabitants by 2050 (World
Urbanization Prospects 2014). Because of high population densities and increased
industrial activities, cities contribute to climate change and also face serious risks
due to impacts of climate change. Being engines of growth, cities are a hub of
economic centres, thus, economic losses due to climate changes are expected to be
significantly high in urban areas making them extremely vulnerable to disasters. In
spite of growing evidence of climate change impacts on Indian cities, both the state
authorities and the civic bodies are unable to wed urban planning exercise with
environmental planning. Current plans and policies are not holistic, and fail to meet
the future escalating demands of urban population and possible urban disasters.
This paper explores these issues through two case studies of Indian megacities—
Bengaluru in Karnataka and Mumbai in Maharashtra. Former focuses on problems
faced by urban residential communities located in low-lying areas of the city. Poor
urban planning and mindless construction mania has accentuated cases of urban
flooding in Bengaluru. The second case study of Mumbai looks at the July 2005
floods when the entire metropolis was marooned due to unprecedented heavy
rainfall. It puts in perspective various scientific studies that show impacts of climate
change in Mumbai and the associated risks. Both the cases re-emphasise the fact
that urban planning is not a top-to-down approach and it cannot be done undertaken
in isolation. In wake of growing evidence of climate change impacts in urban areas,
it is imperative that a holistic “environmental urban planning” is undertaken to help
Indian cities adapt to climate change.
S. Manasi (&)
Centre for Research in Urban Affairs, Institute for Social and Economic Change,
Dr. VKRV Rao Raod, Nagarabhavi, Bangalore 560072, India
e-mail: manasi@isec.ac.in
N. Jamwal
Environment Journalist, Mumbai, India
e-mail: nidhijamwal@gmail.com
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
S. Nautiyal et al. (eds.), Climate Change Challenge (3C)
and Social-Economic-Ecological Interface-Building, Environmental Science,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-31014-5_28
449