Urban Climate Change Resilience Policy Brief

India is witnessing rapid growth in the urban centers. Urbanization trend is expected to accelerate in coming decades as well. It is projected that the number of cities with a population of more than 1 million will reach to 75 by 2021 from 53 in 2011. Due to diverse physiographic and meteorological conditions, cities in India are exposed to various types of natural hazards. Indian cities are facing additional risk due to climate induced extreme events such as floods, droughts, heat and cold waves. An increasing concentration of population coupled with extreme events, results in high damages to assets, interruptions in business continuity opportunity losses, loss of lives, displacement of populations, which is further enhanced by economic and social vulnerability. To address uncertain climate risks to urban ecosystem, it becomes a challenge for decision makers at city level and other urban climate resilience practitioners to select a suitable methodology for assessment of hazard risks, vulnerability & capacity assessment and risk analysis of cities to develop “City Level Climate Action Plan” in a given scenario. India has more than 400 cities in 2011 and climate informed development is needed because urbanization in India is accelerating and cities need to be sustainable and resilient. Hence methods and tools need to be developed to undertake a rapid assessment of city vulnerability and start building capacities to cope with the challenges and planning for adaptation.