Page 2 - Policy Brief - Road map for mainstreaming urban climate resilience in Goa
P. 2
Policy Brief
would be instrumental in building climate resilient do not have a policy or legal mandate for initiating and
cities. It is in this context that TERI conducted the implementing climate resilience efforts.
engagement program in the two states with the
objective for generating awareness and interest amongst With the global policy discourse increasingly
state governments and state-level departments, and stressing on the role of cities for strengthening climate
facilitating a dialogue to bring the agenda of urban climate change resilience, TERI’s research has strong policy
change resilience in the foreground. The program led relevance in the absence of any mechanism or mandates
to the formulation of a policy road map for building at the state level that can steer building climate resilience
urban climate resilience in the two states. This policy of urban areas. United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for
brief synthesizes the key messages from the policy road Sustainable Development identifies a standalone goal
map prepared, in particular, for Goa. It may be noted on ‘Sustainable cities and Communities—Goal 11—
here that although the brief is prepared in the context Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’.1
of Goa, the overarching lessons from the program would Similarly, cities are among the non-nation entities
hold true for many cities in India, especially in the context called upon to make efforts to address and respond to
of coastal states. The brief, therefore, is intended as a climate change as part of the Paris Climate Agreement.2
reference point for development of similar state-level As urban India is gearing up for major transformations
policy frameworks in other parts of the country. through the recently launched Smart Cites Mission
and AMRUT schemes, it is important that the need to
Need for a state-level policy framework on urban integrate climate resilience be recognized and integrated
climate resilience into the urban policy and planning process at the state
level to equip cities to withstand the impacts of climate
Climate change is one of the foremost emerging global change and extreme events.
challenges, the impacts of which are increasingly
manifesting themselves through highly erratic instances With a population of 1.45 million (Census 2011) and
of weather deviations and induced extreme events. land area of 3,702 sq. km, Goa is India’s smallest state.
While both urban and rural areas are vulnerable to Although, traditionally, Goa has been a rural economy,
climate change, its impacts on cities and towns are with a strong mining base, it now has a fast growing
of particular concern due to high concentrations of industrial sector. More than half (62.5 per cent) of the
people and infrastructure in these areas (TERI 2014a). state’s population resides in urban areas, thus, making
While urban centers in India are the new engines of Goa a highly urbanized state. According to the Census
economic growth, yet they are grappling with issues, of India 2011, there are 14 municipal towns, with seven
such as infrastructure deficits and inadequate basic each in north and south Goa, and 30 census towns with
service provision, clubbed with multiple climate hazards. 20 in north Goa and 10 in south Goa. It is observed that
Recent climate calamities and the accompanied loss the bulk of the population resides in the four coastal
and damage have caused calls for a deeper look at the talukas of Mormugao, Salcette, Bardez, and Tiswadi, thus,
preparedness and adaptive capacity of the regions that giving rise to various regional imbalances and straining
are vulnerable to climate-induced disasters and extreme of the state’s coastal resources such as land and water.
events. The damage assessment figures for the Cyclone One of the major factors accounting for increased
Hudhud in 2014 indicate a total loss of INR 90,000 crore urbanization is the rise in the tourism sector, which is
($20 billion) in Visakhapatnam alone. Similarly the floods one of the major economic activities in the state. The
in Jammu & Kashmir in September 2014 caused a total total tourist arrivals have more than doubled in the
damage of INR 6,000 crore ($1 billion). The floods in last decade (TERI 2015b). The economic and urban
Mumbai in the year 2015 caused a direct loss of about growth in Goa is also increasing the pressure on its
INR 550 crore (approx. $100 million) (TERI 2015a). natural resources, ecosystems, and infrastructure,
These calamities are grim reminders of the need to such as sewerage, waste disposal facility, electricity
factor in extreme events that are predicted to increase
as a result of climate change. However, currently cities 1 http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/cities/
2 http://bigpicture.unfccc.int/#content-the-paris-agreement
2
would be instrumental in building climate resilient do not have a policy or legal mandate for initiating and
cities. It is in this context that TERI conducted the implementing climate resilience efforts.
engagement program in the two states with the
objective for generating awareness and interest amongst With the global policy discourse increasingly
state governments and state-level departments, and stressing on the role of cities for strengthening climate
facilitating a dialogue to bring the agenda of urban climate change resilience, TERI’s research has strong policy
change resilience in the foreground. The program led relevance in the absence of any mechanism or mandates
to the formulation of a policy road map for building at the state level that can steer building climate resilience
urban climate resilience in the two states. This policy of urban areas. United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for
brief synthesizes the key messages from the policy road Sustainable Development identifies a standalone goal
map prepared, in particular, for Goa. It may be noted on ‘Sustainable cities and Communities—Goal 11—
here that although the brief is prepared in the context Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’.1
of Goa, the overarching lessons from the program would Similarly, cities are among the non-nation entities
hold true for many cities in India, especially in the context called upon to make efforts to address and respond to
of coastal states. The brief, therefore, is intended as a climate change as part of the Paris Climate Agreement.2
reference point for development of similar state-level As urban India is gearing up for major transformations
policy frameworks in other parts of the country. through the recently launched Smart Cites Mission
and AMRUT schemes, it is important that the need to
Need for a state-level policy framework on urban integrate climate resilience be recognized and integrated
climate resilience into the urban policy and planning process at the state
level to equip cities to withstand the impacts of climate
Climate change is one of the foremost emerging global change and extreme events.
challenges, the impacts of which are increasingly
manifesting themselves through highly erratic instances With a population of 1.45 million (Census 2011) and
of weather deviations and induced extreme events. land area of 3,702 sq. km, Goa is India’s smallest state.
While both urban and rural areas are vulnerable to Although, traditionally, Goa has been a rural economy,
climate change, its impacts on cities and towns are with a strong mining base, it now has a fast growing
of particular concern due to high concentrations of industrial sector. More than half (62.5 per cent) of the
people and infrastructure in these areas (TERI 2014a). state’s population resides in urban areas, thus, making
While urban centers in India are the new engines of Goa a highly urbanized state. According to the Census
economic growth, yet they are grappling with issues, of India 2011, there are 14 municipal towns, with seven
such as infrastructure deficits and inadequate basic each in north and south Goa, and 30 census towns with
service provision, clubbed with multiple climate hazards. 20 in north Goa and 10 in south Goa. It is observed that
Recent climate calamities and the accompanied loss the bulk of the population resides in the four coastal
and damage have caused calls for a deeper look at the talukas of Mormugao, Salcette, Bardez, and Tiswadi, thus,
preparedness and adaptive capacity of the regions that giving rise to various regional imbalances and straining
are vulnerable to climate-induced disasters and extreme of the state’s coastal resources such as land and water.
events. The damage assessment figures for the Cyclone One of the major factors accounting for increased
Hudhud in 2014 indicate a total loss of INR 90,000 crore urbanization is the rise in the tourism sector, which is
($20 billion) in Visakhapatnam alone. Similarly the floods one of the major economic activities in the state. The
in Jammu & Kashmir in September 2014 caused a total total tourist arrivals have more than doubled in the
damage of INR 6,000 crore ($1 billion). The floods in last decade (TERI 2015b). The economic and urban
Mumbai in the year 2015 caused a direct loss of about growth in Goa is also increasing the pressure on its
INR 550 crore (approx. $100 million) (TERI 2015a). natural resources, ecosystems, and infrastructure,
These calamities are grim reminders of the need to such as sewerage, waste disposal facility, electricity
factor in extreme events that are predicted to increase
as a result of climate change. However, currently cities 1 http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/cities/
2 http://bigpicture.unfccc.int/#content-the-paris-agreement
2
