Cities in India are facing the impact of climate change squarely. But are all our citizens equally affected?  World Environment Day is an opportune occasion to examine these questions, as cities are the places that majorities, but not all, of our population will reside in in the coming decades.

May saw North and Central India face severe heatwave conditions, with Delhi’s hottest day in 80 years falling on the 29th. Earlier in April, eastern and southern India also battled intense heatwaves. Scientists warn that the intensity and duration of heatwaves in India will only increase due to climate change.

However, climate change is impacting us in multiple ways. Cyclone Remal hit West Bengal, and instead of losing strength over land, it left a swathe of destruction across Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam. Floods and landslides have damaged roads, which are crucial to link cities with each other and the rest of the country in this region.

With the monsoon hitting India early this year, the forthcoming disaster will most probably be floods, which last year affected Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana. Late in October, Sikkim was impacted by the glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). Coastal cities, especially Chennai and Mumbai, await urban flooding, which has almost become an annual feature.

Not just extreme weather events, slow onset events such as rising sea levels, groundwater level reduction, and monsoon pattern changes impact cities. The severe water shortage in Bengaluru is tragic and ironic, as the city has also experienced severe floods for the last few years.

However, we must recognise that while cities are impacted by climate change, contemporary urban development and urbanisation patterns are crucial contributors to the climate crisis. Urban development alters surface characteristics by replacing vegetation with impervious surfaces like asphalt, concrete, and buildings, reduces airflow and increases pollution. City administrations have not protected the urban commons – whether waterbodies, wetlands, forests or pasture land. Many of Bengaluru’s lakes have disappeared, acres and acres of Mumbai’s mangrove forests, vital to protecting the city from the sea, have been destroyed, Chennai’s waterways, essential for drainage of rainwater, have been blocked, and the Delhi ridge which has been called the city’s lung is under threat of encroachment.

This form of city development leads to the “urban heat island” effect, where towns experience higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas. Heat islands exacerbate heatwaves and energy demand for cooling, contributing to local shifts in weather patterns. As per a study conducted by researchers at IIT Bhubaneswar, urbanisation alone has led to an overall 60% increase in urban warming. Almost all cities across India showed an increase in night-time land surface temperature, with an average of 0.53℃ rise per decade.

Our cities are not built for the its majorities, the informal workers. The current pattern of urban development directly benefits the rich. Government data for the year 2012 shows that more than 95% of the households facing housing shortage come from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) with incomes up to Rs 5,000 per month and the Lower Income Group (LIG) with incomes between Rs 5001- 10,000 per month.

Also, the urban heat island effect disproportionately impacts informal workers due to housing conditions, limited access to cooling resources, and higher exposure to outdoor labour. Poorer neighbourhoods often lack green spaces and suffer from environmental inequality, compounding heat risks, while inadequate access to healthcare facilities exacerbates heat-related illnesses. Studies have shown that informal sector workers often spend more resources to adapt to heatwave conditions than others.

In the wake of the heatwave conditions, the general reaction of the state has always been ad-hoc policy measures, which include recommendations to ensure the availability of adequate clean drinking, coolers or fans and proper ventilation at the workplace along with restriction work timing during the afternoon periods. While these advisories are welcome, they are not enforceable. We must move towards legislative measures like amendments in the Code on Occupational Safety and Health, 2020, incorporating climate change effects and making such practices mandatory for establishments.

Overall, workers must also be guaranteed universal social protection to safeguard them from adverse health conditions, temporary loss of livelihood or reduction in income. Moreover, workers who face income loss due to heatwaves or other extreme weather events like flooding must be compensated.

However, moving urban planning and development patterns towards a more ecologically just direction is imperative. In 2015, the Government of India announced the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, which was re-launched in a re-vitalised form in 2021. Furthermore, many cities are reducing their carbon footprint and adapting to the changing climate. Some have actively developed and implemented climate action plans to tackle environmental challenges.

In 2021, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs released the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework to support cities in formulating comprehensive climate action strategies.

Consequently, several cities and towns have been actively working on developing and implementing climate action plans to address local environmental challenges and contribute to global sustainability goals.

While climate action plans for cities in India signal a positive intent towards environmental stewardship, addressing implementation challenges, ensuring equitable outcomes, securing necessary resources, and fostering stakeholder participation are essential for realising the full potential of these strategies in combating climate change and promoting sustainable urban development.

There is an issue when city plans rarely show much participation from the majorities of the city population.  They are often “owned” by bureaucrats, parastatals and large technology-owning companies. There is a need for greater participation of citizens, and therefore, there is a need to revisit the unfinished agenda of urban local governance as envisaged in the 74^th Amendment.

The Supreme Court of India has acknowledged the critical need for comprehensive and inclusive climate action. It has reinforced the right of people to be protected from the adverse effects of climate change and emphasised the issue of equality for marginalised communities. This judicial affirmation highlights the importance of recognising and supporting frontline communities and socio-ecological rights defenders who are critical in mitigating climate impacts but are also disproportionately affected.

Notably, most urban centres will expand significantly in the coming decades due to natural growth and push migration from the rural hinterland. The adverse impacts of climate change, particularly on the agriculture sector and rural economy, are expected to increase the rural to urban migration in the coming decades. Therefore, it becomes essential to ensure that policies for urban futures go hand in hand with policies for rural futures. By implementing comprehensive rural revitalisation policies that address economic, social, environmental, and governance dimensions, governments and local communities can create conducive conditions for people to thrive in rural areas, reduce the drivers of forced migration, and foster sustainable rural-urban development and inclusive growth. Or else we might see more cases like Meenakshipuram in Madurai District, Tamil Nadu, which has become a ghost village after environmental changes, inconsistent rainfall, and severe droughts that have led to mass exodus over the past decades.

Disclaimer: The article was originally published on Dailyhunt. The views expressed in the article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of ActionAid Association.