Are Indian cities built to withstand the climate crisis?
India Today
Indian cities need to invest in strong and climate-friendly development.
February, once known to be cool and breezy, has begun heating up in recent years. What is more worrying is that this is going to become the norm in the coming decades. Global projections forecast a significant increase in heat stress, with up to 50 per cent more hot days and nights by 2050! Are Indian cities prepared? Perhaps not.
According to World Bank projections, India’s urban population is set to grow rapidly. Around 480 million people lived in cities in 2020. This could rise to 951 million by 2050 and reach 1.1 billion by 2070. Over the last 60 years, the urban population has grown sixfold. By mid-century, nearly one billion people may be living in cities, putting heavy pressure on housing and infrastructure.
Between 2022 and 2070, India may require around 144 million new urban dwelling units, and data shows that more than half of the housing needed by 2070 is still not built.
By 2050, Delhi will have the maximum number of households (6,311,213), followed by Chennai (4,948,905). Surat will be third with 1,910,224 households. Thiruvananthapuram with 918,440 and Indore with 801,743. Add to that, nearly 70 per cent of all new employment by 2030 will be generated in cities.
As the urban population increases, waste generation will also go up. Urban solid waste in India stood at about 55 million tonnes in 2020. By 2035, it could increase to 285 million tonnes, and by 2050, it may reach 415 million tonnes.
Heat-related deaths may more than double from 1,44,000 per year to 3,28,500 by 2050. Historically, dangerous heat exposure in 10 big cities has already increased by 71 per cent. Such deaths in Chennai, Surat, and Lucknow are 0.2 to 0.4 per 1,000 people yearly. By 2050, people in these cities may face 30–50 per cent more hot days and nights.
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