Instituting environmental sustainability and climate resilience into the governance process: Exploring the potential of new urban development schemes in India

Abstract

India is on the cusp of major transformation in terms of how it translates and directs urbanization. The recently announced flagship schemes of the Government of India – the ‘Smart Cities’ scheme, the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, The Housing for All scheme – offer avenues for addressing some of the most daunting challenges that cities in India face today, including climate change impacts and disaster risks. While India has faced multiple climate-related hazards in the recent years, the frequency and intensity of extreme events on the Indian subcontinent has arguably begun to increase. While there have been clear entry points in the governance system and policy making through which the climate resilience agenda could have been integrated into urban development planning in Indian cities, it has not yet been done, largely due to the lack of realization of this very need among India’s decision makers. This paper discusses these issues in detail and outlines the gaps and challenges for bringing climate resilience into the mainstream agenda. Furthermore, it explores the possible avenues or entry points for integrating climate resilience into the urban development agenda through these schemes.