Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Urban Informality and Planning: Challenges to Mainstreaming Resilience in Indian Cities

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Resilience-Oriented Urban Planning

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Energy ((LNEN,volume 65))

Abstract

Indian cities are experiencing multiple simultaneous transitions in demography, income, governance, physical expansion and infrastructures, amplifying existing challenges of providing housing, water, sanitation, employment and clean environment. With little capacity to cope with risks from the in situ climate, added risks from climate change present an overwhelming challenge. The global, long-term and highly uncertain nature of climate change phenomenon has contributed to the remoteness and sparseness of the treatment of climate change risks in the framing of city development policies. Building sustainable and climate resilient cities and communities require quite the opposite approach to conventional urban policies and plans. Several Indian cities have announced policies to build resilience to climate change; however, the extent of institutionalization of climate change resilience in the local government agenda is not well understood. This chapter reviews India’s urban development and governance structures in the context of urban climate change resilience. Drawing from the case study of Ahmedabad city’s Heat Action Plan, the paper highlights the key issues faced by local governments in mainstreaming climate change resilience in formal urban policies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    In some states such as Gujarat the term Development Plan is used while Delhi uses the term Master Plan.

  2. 2.

    AUDA. (2013). Comprehensive Development Plan 2021 (Second Revised Part-1)—Exiting Conditions, Study and Analysis, AUDA, Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad: AUDA.

  3. 3.

    Since 2008, the city has made sizeable investments in new transport systems including the 97 km BRTS network and two metro corridors spanning 36 km, the first phase of which will become operational in 2018.

  4. 4.

    For example, in April 2013, a simulation exercise was organised with 50 city officials, key stakeholders and international experts to plan how their agencies would react to a heat wave and to improve inter-agency communication in the city.

  5. 5.

    https://cdkn.org/project/climate-change-addressing-heat-health-vulnerability-in-rapidly-urbanising-regions-of-western-india/?loclang=en_gb. Accessed 27 July, 2017.

References

  • Ayers J, Huq S, Wright H, Faisal AM, Hussain ST (2014) Mainstreaming climate change adaptation into development in Bangladesh. Clim Dev 6:293–305. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2014.977761

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Azhar GS, Mavalankar D, Nori-Sarma A, Rajiva A, Dutta P, Jaiswal A, Sheffield P, Knowlton K, Hess JJ (2014) Heat-related mortality in India: excess all-cause mortality associated with the 2010 Ahmedabad heat wave. PLoS One 9. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0091831

  • Baker J (2011) Climate change disaster risk urban poor., pp 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-0-8213-8845-7

    Google Scholar 

  • Boonyabancha S (2005) Baan Mankong: going to scale with “slum” and squatter upgrading in Thailand. Environ Urban 17:21–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/095624780501700104

    Google Scholar 

  • Boonyabancha S (2009) Land for housing the poor—by the poor: experiences from the Baan Mankong nationwide slum upgrading programme in Thailand. Environ Urban 21:309–329. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956247809342180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Childers DL, Cadenasso ML, Morgan Grove J, Marshall V, McGrath B, Pickett STA (2015) An ecology for cities: a transformational nexus of design and ecology to advance climate change resilience and urban sustainability. Sustain 7:3774–3791. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7043774

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coelho K, Raman NV (2013) From The Frying-Pan to the Floodplain: Negotiating Land, Water And Fire In Chennai’s Development. In: Rademacher A, Sivaramakrishnan K (eds) Ecologies of Urbanism in India: Metropolitan Civility and Sustainability, Hong Kong University Press, pp. 145–168

    Google Scholar 

  • Desai R, Mahadevia D (2014) Diversity and dynamics of informal rental housing in a Mid-sized city in India. Environ Urban ASIA 5:285–301. https://doi.org/10.1177/0975425315577173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dholakia HH, Bhadra D, Garg A (2014) Short term association between ambient air pollution and mortality and modification by temperature in five Indian cities. Atmos Environ 99:168–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.09.071

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doshi S (2013) Resettlement ecologies: environmental subjectivity and graduated citizenship in Mumbai. In: Rademacher A, Sivaramakrishnan K (eds) Ecologies of Urbanism in India: Metropolitan Civility and Sustainability, Hong Kong University Press, pp. 225–248

    Google Scholar 

  • GoI (2008) National action plan on climate change. Government of India, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • GoI (2014) Report of the expert group to review the methodology for measurement of poverty. Planning commission. Government of India, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • GoI (2015) Smart cities mission. Government of India. www.smartcities.gov.in/content/. Accessed 18 Feb 2017

  • GoI (2016) AMRUT mission. Government of India. www.amrut.gov.in/writereaddata/TheMission.pdf. Accessed 8 Mar 2017

  • IPCC (2014a) Climate change 2014: mitigation of climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2014b) Urban areas. In: Climate change 2014: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Part A: global and sectoral aspects. Contribution of work

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2014c) Annex II: Glossary. In: Mach KJ, Planton S, von Stechow C (eds) Climate change 2014: synthesis report. contribution of working groups I, II and III to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. IPCC

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahadevia D (2010a) Urban reforms in three cities: Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and Patna. In: Chand V (ed) Public service delivery in India: understanding the reform process. Oxford University Press, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahadevia D (2010b) Tenure security and urban social protection links: India. IDS Bull 41:52–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahadevia D (2011a) Branded and renewed? Policies, politics and processes of urban development in the reform era. Econ Polit Weekly 46:56–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahadevia D (2011b) Tenure security and urban social protection in India, CSP Research Report 05. Centre for Social Protection, Institute of Development Studies, Sussex

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahadevia D, Sarkar S (2012) Handbook of urban inequalities. Oxford University Press, New Delhi. ISBN 9780198081715

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahadevia D, Desai R, Vyas S (2014) City profile: Ahmedabad, CUE Working Paper No 26. Centre for Urban Equity, CEPT University. Ahmedabad

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahlkow N, Donner J (2016) From Planning to Implementation? The Role of Climate Change Adaptation Plans to Tackle Heat Stress. J Plan Educ Res 0739456X1666478. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456x16664787

  • Mathur OP (2013) Finances of municipalities: issues before the fourteenth finance commission. Econ Polit Wkly 48:23–27

    Google Scholar 

  • National Building Organization (NBO) (2012) Report of the Technical Group (TG-12) on Urban Housing Shortage (2012-17), Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India

    Google Scholar 

  • National Sample Survey Organization (2010) Housing condition and amenities in India, 2008–09, NSS 65th Round, Report No. 535 (65/1.2/1), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India

    Google Scholar 

  • NRDC (2017) Expanding heat resilience across India. NRDC International. Issue Brief. June. https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/india-heat-resilient-cities-ib.pdf. Accessed 1 Aug 2017

  • Pathak M, Shukla PR (2016) Co-benefits of low carbon passenger transport actions in Indian cities: case study of Ahmedabad. Transp Res Part D Transp Environ 44:303–316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2015.07.013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pathak M, Shukla PR, Garg A, Dholakia H (2015) Integrating climate change in city planning: framework and case studies. Springer, New Delhi, pp 151–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Puppim De Oliveira JA, Doll CNH, Kurniawan TA, Geng Y, Kapshe M, Huisingh D (2013) Promoting win-win situations in climate change mitigation, local environmental quality and development in Asian cities through co-benefits. J Clean Prod 58:1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.08.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Revi A., Satterthwaite DE, Aragón-Durand F, Corfee-Morlot J, Kiunsi RBR, Pelling M, Roberts DC, Solecki W (2014) Urban areas. In: Field CB, Barros VR, Dokken DJ, Mach KJ, Mastrandrea MD, Bilir TE, Chatterjee M, Ebi KL, Estrada YO, Genova RC, Girma B, Kissel ES, Levy AN, MacCracken S, Mastrandrea PR, White LL (eds) Climate change 2014: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Part A: Global and sectoral aspects. Contribution of working group II to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 535–612.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roy A (2009) Why India cannot plan its cities: informality, insurgence and the idiom of urbanization. Plan Theory 8:76–87. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473095208099299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Satterthwaite DE (2011) Editorial: Why is community action needed for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation? Environ Urban 23:339–349. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956247811420009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharifi A, Chelleri L, Fox-Lent C, Grafakos S, Pathak M, Olazabal M, Moloney S, Yumagulova L, Yamagata Y (2017) Conceptualizing dimensions and characteristics of urban resilience: insights from a co-design process. Sustain 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9061032

  • Shukla PR, Dhar S, Pathak M, Mahadevia D, Garg A (2015) Pathways to deep decarbonization in India. SDSN-IDDRI, Paris, France

    Google Scholar 

  • Sivaramakrishnan KC (2013) Revisiting the 74th constitutional amendment for better metropolitan governance. Econ Polit Wkly 48:86–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Sivaramakrishnan KC (2014) Governance of megacities: fractured thinking. Oxford University Press, New Delhi, Fragmented Setup

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Toloo G, FitzGerald G, Aitken P, Verrall K, Tong S (2013) Are heat warning systems effective? Environ Heal 12:27. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-12-27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) (2015) India’s intended nationally determined contribution. http://www4.unfccc.int/submissions/INDC/PublishedDocuments/India/1/INDIAINDCTOUNFCCC.pdf. Accessed 30 Nov 2016

  • United Nations (2015) Sustainable development goals—United Nations. http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/. Accessed 13 Nov 2017

  • United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division (2014) World Urbanization Prospects 2014

    Google Scholar 

  • Wamsler C (2008) Achieving urban resilience: understanding and tackling disasters from a local perspective. Proc ICE—Urban Des Plan 161:163–172. https://doi.org/10.1680/udap.2008.161.4.163

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Global Centre for Environment and Energy, Ahmedabad University, Navrangpura, 380009, Ahmedabad, India

    Minal Pathak

  2. Faculty of Planning and Centre for Urban Equity, CEPT University, Navrangpura, 380009, Ahmedabad, India

    Darshini Mahadevia

Authors
  1. Minal Pathak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Darshini Mahadevia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Minal Pathak .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Global Environmental Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

    Yoshiki Yamagata

  2. Center for Global Environmental Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

    Ayyoob Sharifi

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Pathak, M., Mahadevia, D. (2018). Urban Informality and Planning: Challenges to Mainstreaming Resilience in Indian Cities. In: Yamagata, Y., Sharifi, A. (eds) Resilience-Oriented Urban Planning. Lecture Notes in Energy, vol 65. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75798-8_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75798-8_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-75797-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-75798-8

  • eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation