Floods, heatwaves driving green cities

Indian cities are increasingly vulnerable to climate-related disasters such as extreme heat, flooding, and disease outbreaks.

- Vaeshnavi Kasthuril

Addressing the Mint Sustainability Summit in New Delhi recently, a panel consisting of Minal Pathak, an IPCC author and faculty member at Ahmedabad University; conservation biologist Neha Sinha; and Samit Mitra, director of country programs at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, discussed strategies and the urgent need for designing resilient urban spaces.

"Cities are grappling with compounding events, heat followed by monsoon flooding, then disease," said Pathak. These overlapping shocks, she said, demand forward-looking resilience planning.

Experts on the panel said cities must integrate natural ecosystems into planning. Forested ridges, wetlands, and restored streams can help regulate temperature, absorb excess rainwater, and improve public health outcomes.