Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Vadodara in Gujarat, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli and Tiruneveli in Tamil Nadu, Udaipur in Rajasthan and Siliguri in West Bengal will require USD 85,000 billion until 2070, for varied climate action projects in various sectors to combat global warming threats.

This was the key highlight of a first of its kind document in South and Southeast Asia, seven Net-zero Climate Resilient City Action Plans 2070, for the seven cities released together here at the National Workshop on ‘Multi-Level Action for Climate Resilient Cities’ recently.

The report also noted that  due to these climate change combat measures approximately 8 lakh green jobs are expected to be created as per plans which are in alignment with India’s ambitious target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 as committed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the CoP26 in Glasgow, 2021.

The sectors included transport, buildings, biodiversity, water supply, SWM, wastewater, stormwater, renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors among others. In fact, Ahmedabad's early release of its Net-zero CRCAP 2070 last July set a precedent for other cities.

Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu pointed out that the very high temperatures of 2024, extremely heavy rainfall experienced in Gujarat recently, and the extreme cold are all manifestations of climate change.

“The worst effects of climate change are more acutely felt by the elderly, children and the poor. It is crucial to address the adverse effects of climate change…”

The plans were also a major milestone for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) supported CapaCITIES project, said the officials here.

Philippe Sas, Head International Cooperation and Counsellor, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation agreed as he asserted, “Sustainable planning adopted by Switzerland focuses on engineering longevity, innovation & co-benefits. These best practices contribute significantly to India’s national missions and subnational climate action planning.”

Several innovative green projects are being implemented across these seven cities to combat climate change. For instance, Tirunelveli has established an urban flood early warning system to enhance disaster preparedness while Ahmedabad has set up solar-powered charging stations for electric buses, promoting clean transport.

At the same time, Tiruchirappalli is focusing on catchment area and watershed management, which aids in groundwater recharge through effective urban planning and water body restoration.

Udaipur has created a green mobility zone to encourage sustainable transportation options while Vadodara, Udaipur, and Siliguri are developing Miyawaki forests, which are dense, biodiverse urban forests that enhance green cover.