Page 2 - Towards a Policy for Climate Resilient Infrastructure and Services in Coastal Cities
P. 2
Policy Brief
In India, three cyclones hit the east coast of India between the cyclones, and changes in precipitation. The assessments
years 2013 and 2014. Particularly, the cyclone Hudhud that struck generally give SLR projections for the next 100 years.
the east coast of India on October 11, 2014 had a very devastating However, development planning is carried out considering
impact on Visakhapatnam city. While the early warning systems a 10–15 years horizon.
could save lives, the greatest impact was felt in terms of loss and Lack of integration of climate concerns in land use
damage to infrastructure assets. The damage assessment figures planning and project planning: While local environment
indicate a total loss of `90,000 crores ($20 billion) due to the concerns have found place in the master planning and land use
cyclone. Similarly the floods in Jammu & Kashmir in September planning processes in the cities, climate change and associated
2014, caused a total damage of `6,000 crores ($1 billion). Roads, disasters related concerns are yet to be integrated into the
dozens of bridges, buildings, and crops were damaged by the regular urban development planning paradigm. Climate
landslides triggered by heavy rainfall. Earlier in the year 2005, concerns such as addressing impact of climate change on
the floods in Mumbai caused a stoppage of entire commercial, infrastructure would require integration of the same into the
trading, and industrial activity for days. The floods had caused a development process. It should be dovetailed to the level of
direct loss of about `550 crores (approx. $100 million). Mumbai’s detailed project planning for facilitating budget allocation.
domestic and international airports were shut for more than Uncertainty over future climate impacts: The future
30 hours due to heavy flooding of the runways and submerged climate modelling results used at present have uncertainties
instrument landing systems equipment. Rail links were disrupted, attached to them related to factors such as resolution of
and the Mumbai–Pune expressway was shut for 24 hours for the models, interdependency of one climatic factor over another,
first time since it was built. and lack of robust and continuous data. However, spending on
There is therefore, a greater urgency and need to build retrofitting and updating infrastructure using uncertain results
in climate resilience in the way cities are planned, particularly on climate impacts might prove to be an expensive preposition
infrastructure, to equip cities to withstand the impacts of extreme for the city, particularly for those which are grappling to address
events such as floods, cyclones, and storm surges. While the coastal the existing gaps with their available resources.
areas are at grave risk to SLR and extreme events like cyclones and Multi-dimensional and multi-sectoral nature of
storm surges, the cities’ planning and development activities are not infrastructure: It is to be noted that jurisdictional issues and
currently aligned to withstand the impacts of such events. overlapping mandates of government agencies might interfere
with the effective implementation of resilience measures in
Critical obstacles/barriers to building city plans. This is because infrastructure planning rests with
various government departments which have no integration
resilience in coastal areas point marked out for multi-sectoral planning efforts.
Some of the challenges that need to be addressed in planning There is a need to address these barriers in a systematic manner
and building resilience of infrastructure within a city system are by creating clear roadmaps and action plans; creating mandates
as follows: and enabling mechanisms, and institutional arrangements. Besides,
Existing stresses on infrastructure: Existing stresses on the considerations of cost and investments, both short- and long
term, detailed design features and interventions that would need
infrastructure in terms of overuse, aging infrastructure, low expert engineering solutions are critical to planning for new
coverage, and maintenance affects the reliability and efficiency infrastructure or retrofitting/climate proofing of existing ones.
of these systems at the time of any extremes.
Lack of inventory/database system: Any infrastructure Present framework for infrastructure planning
planning, particularly for addressing climate and environmental
issues would need information on design details, age, maximum At present, the framework for urban infrastructure development
capacity, and location of the infrastructure in question. None at city level is driven by a two-pronged process in India—city level
of the Indian cities are maintaining a comprehensive and up- urban development plans/master plans and centrally sponsored
to-date data on existing infrastructure. Besides, the data on schemes such as JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal
infrastructure systems and services in a city is scattered in Mission)2, UIDSSMT (Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme
various departments and there is no one place where this for Small and Medium Towns), etc. In some cases, such as large
data is either inventoried or maintained. scale urban transport projects (e.g., metro rail, bus rapid transit),
Lack of data on climate change: Fine resolution industrial zones, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), etc., infrastructure
assessments of climate parameters such as SLR, change development is driven by the economic policies or manifesto of
in precipitation, etc., are not available with the cities to the national/state governments and funded through Public Private
base their decisions on infrastructure update or retrofit. Partnership (PPP) modes or grants/ loans from multi-lateral/
Climate risk assessment results based on time, recurrence, bilateral agencies, banks, etc.
probability, and degree of risk, potential hazards to all kind
of infrastructure are needed by the city for future planning It is important to note here that when it comes to planning
as well as for upgrading the existing infrastructure. SLR is and development of ‘climate resilient’ infrastructure, there is
a gradual long-term process and its impact needs to be currently no window for financing such projects in the country.
assessed along with other factors such as storm surge and
2 JUNE 2015
In India, three cyclones hit the east coast of India between the cyclones, and changes in precipitation. The assessments
years 2013 and 2014. Particularly, the cyclone Hudhud that struck generally give SLR projections for the next 100 years.
the east coast of India on October 11, 2014 had a very devastating However, development planning is carried out considering
impact on Visakhapatnam city. While the early warning systems a 10–15 years horizon.
could save lives, the greatest impact was felt in terms of loss and Lack of integration of climate concerns in land use
damage to infrastructure assets. The damage assessment figures planning and project planning: While local environment
indicate a total loss of `90,000 crores ($20 billion) due to the concerns have found place in the master planning and land use
cyclone. Similarly the floods in Jammu & Kashmir in September planning processes in the cities, climate change and associated
2014, caused a total damage of `6,000 crores ($1 billion). Roads, disasters related concerns are yet to be integrated into the
dozens of bridges, buildings, and crops were damaged by the regular urban development planning paradigm. Climate
landslides triggered by heavy rainfall. Earlier in the year 2005, concerns such as addressing impact of climate change on
the floods in Mumbai caused a stoppage of entire commercial, infrastructure would require integration of the same into the
trading, and industrial activity for days. The floods had caused a development process. It should be dovetailed to the level of
direct loss of about `550 crores (approx. $100 million). Mumbai’s detailed project planning for facilitating budget allocation.
domestic and international airports were shut for more than Uncertainty over future climate impacts: The future
30 hours due to heavy flooding of the runways and submerged climate modelling results used at present have uncertainties
instrument landing systems equipment. Rail links were disrupted, attached to them related to factors such as resolution of
and the Mumbai–Pune expressway was shut for 24 hours for the models, interdependency of one climatic factor over another,
first time since it was built. and lack of robust and continuous data. However, spending on
There is therefore, a greater urgency and need to build retrofitting and updating infrastructure using uncertain results
in climate resilience in the way cities are planned, particularly on climate impacts might prove to be an expensive preposition
infrastructure, to equip cities to withstand the impacts of extreme for the city, particularly for those which are grappling to address
events such as floods, cyclones, and storm surges. While the coastal the existing gaps with their available resources.
areas are at grave risk to SLR and extreme events like cyclones and Multi-dimensional and multi-sectoral nature of
storm surges, the cities’ planning and development activities are not infrastructure: It is to be noted that jurisdictional issues and
currently aligned to withstand the impacts of such events. overlapping mandates of government agencies might interfere
with the effective implementation of resilience measures in
Critical obstacles/barriers to building city plans. This is because infrastructure planning rests with
various government departments which have no integration
resilience in coastal areas point marked out for multi-sectoral planning efforts.
Some of the challenges that need to be addressed in planning There is a need to address these barriers in a systematic manner
and building resilience of infrastructure within a city system are by creating clear roadmaps and action plans; creating mandates
as follows: and enabling mechanisms, and institutional arrangements. Besides,
Existing stresses on infrastructure: Existing stresses on the considerations of cost and investments, both short- and long
term, detailed design features and interventions that would need
infrastructure in terms of overuse, aging infrastructure, low expert engineering solutions are critical to planning for new
coverage, and maintenance affects the reliability and efficiency infrastructure or retrofitting/climate proofing of existing ones.
of these systems at the time of any extremes.
Lack of inventory/database system: Any infrastructure Present framework for infrastructure planning
planning, particularly for addressing climate and environmental
issues would need information on design details, age, maximum At present, the framework for urban infrastructure development
capacity, and location of the infrastructure in question. None at city level is driven by a two-pronged process in India—city level
of the Indian cities are maintaining a comprehensive and up- urban development plans/master plans and centrally sponsored
to-date data on existing infrastructure. Besides, the data on schemes such as JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal
infrastructure systems and services in a city is scattered in Mission)2, UIDSSMT (Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme
various departments and there is no one place where this for Small and Medium Towns), etc. In some cases, such as large
data is either inventoried or maintained. scale urban transport projects (e.g., metro rail, bus rapid transit),
Lack of data on climate change: Fine resolution industrial zones, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), etc., infrastructure
assessments of climate parameters such as SLR, change development is driven by the economic policies or manifesto of
in precipitation, etc., are not available with the cities to the national/state governments and funded through Public Private
base their decisions on infrastructure update or retrofit. Partnership (PPP) modes or grants/ loans from multi-lateral/
Climate risk assessment results based on time, recurrence, bilateral agencies, banks, etc.
probability, and degree of risk, potential hazards to all kind
of infrastructure are needed by the city for future planning It is important to note here that when it comes to planning
as well as for upgrading the existing infrastructure. SLR is and development of ‘climate resilient’ infrastructure, there is
a gradual long-term process and its impact needs to be currently no window for financing such projects in the country.
assessed along with other factors such as storm surge and
2 JUNE 2015
