Page 48 - Construction Vision Sep-Oct 2017 issue

Urban planning key to making cities resilient to weather changes

ometimes, plenty isn't good news. The change factors in planning. “Despite the
people of Agartala, Bengaluru, Mumbai increased awareness, climate change is still WHO IS TO BLAME?
Sand Chandigarh would agree. In the not a key consideration of planning cities in Much of the blame for the unpreparedness of
past fortnight, each of these cities received in a India,” said Raina Singh, a fellow at the Centre Indian cities to deal with extreme rainfall has
day as much as 10 to 30 times the average for Research on Sustainable Urban fallen on municipal corporations for failing to
daily rainfall, bringing them to a grinding halt. Development and Transport Systems at the maintain the city's drainage system in working
Mumbai was dumped with more than 200 mm New Delhi-based think tank TERI. Climate condition. Misuse and lack of maintenance of
of rain on Tuesday, which is 11 days of average change concerns need to be mainstreamed drains contributed to waterlogging and flooding.
monsoon rainfall for the city. It rained on into the urban planning and governance While municipal corporations have been
Independence Day in Bengaluru and by mid- processes. Experts point out that climate derelict, blaming them alone is misplaced. With
afternoon the city had rainfall of 128 mm, which thresholds are changing rapidly and this climate change, threats such as higher
is 37 times the average daily rainfall. information needs to be incorporated into the temperatures, sea level increases, more
planning process. At present, the approach is intense rain storms and heat waves have
NOT AN ODD HEAVY RAIN DAY ad hoc – unless something becomes an become imminent and countering them needs
Climate scientists have long warned about emergency, there is no action. Singh suggested more than just maintaining the city's drains.
changing rainfall patterns. The most recent that the central government needs to identify
report of the UN's climate science body, the climate change as a concern and include it in Cities must reduce the risk and impact of these
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, its guidelines and model regulations. Experts threats and improve the safety and well-being
stressed the increased risk of flooding and agreed, saying that there is a lot of discussion of people and businesses. That, said urban
alterations in rainfall patterns due to global on climate change but no statutory channel to planners and experts, brings back the core
warming. In India, studies show an increased embed these concerns in planning and building issue of planning. Globally, climate action is
clustering of days with high and prolonged laws and regulations. driven by cities. Mayors and corporations of
rainfall. leading cities have the power to make
Once the central government acts, Singh said decisions and plans that can address the
Over the past decade, India's rainfall pattern states must amend their laws to make it threats of climate change. In India, the
has changed. Instead of a steady monsoon mandatory to undertake climate vulnerability devolution of powers to the municipal
season, there are greater incidences of high- assessments. This would require adopting a corporations remains a paper promise. Their
intensity rainfall concentrated over a short scientific approach to planning. Data is crucial writ runs only to civic issues.
period of time and geographical area. Despite for effective planning. “There needs to be a
excessive rains across the country over the greater focus on data collection, availability and Mayors from Indian cities are aware of the
past fortnight, the Indian Meteorological usage,” said Singh. dangers of climate change but don't have the
Department's data reveals that cumulative power to make changes that would minimise or
rainfall this monsoon season has been 3% to India's metros and tier-1 cities have some data, prevent situations like those in Mumbai,
9% below normal. The impact of climate but the smaller cities lack even the basic Bengaluru or Chandigarh. Urban development
change is becoming increasingly evident. statistics required for planning. “Even when is a state subject. Development and planning
Given the constant and often rapid changes in data exists, it is disaggregated; so authorities authorities are under the state government and
climate thresholds, there is an urgent need to dealing with water, power, transport and solid not the municipal corporations. “Those planning
focus on improving the resilience of Indian waste – each has some data that pertains to the cities and towns have no accountability to
cities and urban areas. their sectors. But for data to provide the the residents and business, while the urban
underpinning of urban planning it has to be elected representatives have no power a senior
PLANNING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE available on one platform,” Singh explained. urban planner explained.
It's time that urban planning in India The goal of building the climate resilience of
acknowledges the reality of climate change. our cities require more than basic data. There must be integration of the management
For the most part, Indian urban planning has of climate-sensitive sectors such as waste,
had little regard for factors such as natural Singh stressed the importance of including water, power and disaster risk reduction.
drainage, topography and the near-total climate parameters, which should not be limited Residents and businesses should participate in
absence of non-concretised areas. The practice to amount of rainfall or temperatures but also the planning process and it should be
of reclaiming wetlands for development and include aspects such as waterlogging spots, responsive to needs. Local planning will also
choking avenues of natural drainage have traffic congestion and disruption of water induce a level of flexibility, which is crucial
reduced the capacity of Indian cities to address supply. “The data from all these diverse given the rapidly changing climate thresholds.
climatic variations. Urban planning experts said sources should be able to present a complete Experts argue that if cities have to become
there is a slow but growing awareness of the risk and vulnerability picture of the city or town,” climate resilient, it is essential for urban local
importance of environmental and climate Singh said. authorities to drive the planning process.

46 CONSTRUCTION VISION SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER