Climate change is not only a threat to the existence of the planet and humankind in a distant future but an obstacle to a growing economy like India with evolving and growing needs
Countries across the globe are experiencing extreme weather events that are resulting in catastrophic impacts to humans and infrastructure, both of which are extremely susceptible to climate variability. The primary cause of these tragedies is undoubtedly related to global climate change. Reliable and efficient infrastructure that is climate change resilient underpins the sustainable economic and social development of the cities.Over the past few decades, infrastructure investment has been growing by leaps and bounds, according to the New Climate Economy report, it is estimated that worldwide investments in infrastructure will increase from $3.4 trillion per year currently to about six trillion dollars per year by 2030. This phenomenal investment by developed and emerging economies alike, is expected to give a boost to the existing systems besides giving a robust push for economic growth.
The growing threat of climate change, however poses a serious threat to the ambitious plans of infrastructure development. In many growing economies such as India, evolving infrastructure can be particularly climate-sensitive and, therefore, highly vulnerable to the destruction that occurs due to natural disasters.
As these events cut across socio-economic sectors and administrative jurisdictions, they can jeopardise development objectives in distant places. Public infrastructure tends to be multifunctional in nature and serves a range of diverse stakeholders spread over a wide geographic area. It directly or indirectly provides critical services to the area it covers. Interruptions in services due to climate events can cause negative economic impacts over a large territory. The resultant breakdown of services in turn ends up impeding a country’s ability to pursue development goals.
India too has been at the receiving end of climate change impacts in the form of extreme weather events such as rapid sea-level rises, changes in temperatures, rainfall and other unsettling climactic events. The rapidly developing civic infrastructure in India has been dealt a major blow by these extreme climate events many a times.
However, the authorities are yet to fathom the importance of infrastructure that can withstand the vagaries of climate change. As a result, most of Indian infrastructure has little resilience built into them for standing up to climate change, instead the focus is always on the timely completion of the project within the stipulated budget.
Unless India expedites the development of climate resilient infrastructure on a fast track basis the current design thresholds for safe and efficient operation of infrastructure may be breached more frequently, or projects may have to function within tighter margins between ‘normal’ operation and critical thresholds, resulting in decreased efficiency of equipment and more frequent periods of restricted operation. This could lead to reduced asset lifetimes, higher running costs and capital expenditures, loss of income, and increased risk of environmental damage.
As a concrete step towards climate proof infrastructure, the urban authorities directly connected to planning and implementating of infrastructure development and must establish a department for climate change adaptation and strategic risk management. The department comprising of a group of specialists can address risk mitigation and assist in implementing India’s strategy for climate-resilient public infrastructure. The resiliency of public and private infrastructure safeguards important progress and investments made in the pursuit of development and avoids the loss of human life in the face of climate change. The Government on its part must provide the critical support of devising development plans that are people-centered and incorporate climate change adaptation strategies to protect the welfare of the communities.
The climate resilient infrastructure is a multidimensional issue that requires convergence between the need to develop and the economic and social infrastructure of the country and the necessity to protect the country’s ecosystems. The restoration of ecosystems and their capacity to regulate the impacts of climate change will reduce risks and slow down the deterioration of infrastructure as well as increase the possibility of new investments. Efficient and climate resilient urban infrastructure systems can ensure uninterrupted delivery of energy, mobility, water, sanitation and information during challenging climate related situations. In order to achieve this, India must find path breaking ways of how to plan, design, build and manage its cities under more challenging conditions.
Climate change is a trans-boundary issue. India can set a global infrastructure benchmark by evolving new strategies that not only integrates management of risks but also effectively enhances the ability to respond to climate change. This alone can ensure the functionality of the infrastructure even in the face of toughest challenge meted out by climate change.
(The writer is an environmental journalist)