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Time of India
17-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
How climate-resilient infrastructure can shape India's future
India is in the process of a major infrastructure transformation. Launched in 2019, the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) was set up to invest $1.5 trillion (₹111 lakh crore) across critical sectors such as energy, transport, water, and urban development between 2020 and 2025. As of early 2024, 21% of projects were completed and approximately 46% were under implementation. With the NIP nearing its conclusion, the government is expected to announce a fresh five-year roadmap later this year to further accelerate development. India's urban population is projected to nearly double, from 432 million in 2021 to 820 million by 2047. Much of this growth is happening in Tier II and III cities. However, this urban expansion is unfolding against the backdrop of increasingly frequent and severe climate events that bring with it new challenges. As new infrastructure takes shape, there's a clear need to make it stronger and better prepared for climate-related risks. Building with climate resilience in mind is no longer optional—it's essential for long-term impact. Climate vulnerabilities and risks Under the Smart Cities Mission, over 100 cities across India—including newer hubs like Dharamsala, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Davanagere—are being equipped with modern infrastructure. As these cities evolve, the threat of extreme weather events makes it crucial to embed climate resilience into every layer of planning. According to the Climate Risk Index, India ranks sixth globally among countries most affected by extreme weather events over the last three decades, with over 400 events leading to more than 80,000 deaths and economic losses amounting to $180 billion. A recent study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) reveals that nearly 57% of Indian districts, housing 76% of the population, are at high to very high risk from extreme heat. These statistics highlight the critical importance of integrating climate resilience into infrastructure planning to safeguard communities and sustain economic development. Embedding climate resilience in infrastructure planning Embedding climate resilience into infrastructure planning is no longer optional—it is a strategic necessity to safeguard communities, economies, and ecosystems in a rapidly changing climate. This calls for a paradigm shift from reactive infrastructure development to anticipatory, risk-informed planning. Climate resilience must be woven into every stage of development, and this begins with rethinking how projects are conceived, designed, and executed. A few high-impact strategies include: Integrating blue-green infrastructure Thoughtful use of landscape features like rain gardens, bioswales, green roofs, and urban forests not only manage stormwater and reduce urban heat but also enhance biodiversity and liveability in densely built environments. Mainstreaming decentralised renewable and water systems Embedding rooftop solar, water harvesting, and on-site wastewater recycling into project infrastructure reduces pressure on public utilities and enhances resilience against service disruptions. Leveraging technology and climate risk mapping Using data-driven tools—such as GIS-based climate risk assessments and smart building systems—enables developers and city planners to make informed, adaptive decisions that anticipate future environmental stresses. Benefits of climate-resilient infrastructure The transition to climate-resilient infrastructure brings wide-ranging benefits that go beyond environmental protection. Economically, it significantly lowers the lifecycle costs of assets by reducing the need for frequent maintenance and disaster-related repairs, potentially cutting long-term infrastructure expenses by up to 70%. Beyond cost savings, climate-smart infrastructure also improves public health and creates new job opportunities. Buildings that use natural ventilation, non-toxic materials, and efficient cooling systems not only reduce energy use but also provide healthier indoor environments—critical in a country facing rising heatwaves and air pollution. According to the Green Industry Outlook report by TeamLease Digital, the green transition is expected to generate nearly 50 million new jobs in sectors such as clean energy, construction, and environmental services, contributing up to $15 trillion to India's economy. These combined benefits make investing in climate resilience not just wise—but essential for the country's long-term growth and well-being. Integration with national policies and global commitments India is steadily aligning its infrastructure vision with climate resilience through emerging national policies and initiatives. The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) integrates climate risks into long-term planning and mobilizes private finance for adaptive infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable urban areas. At the local level, initiatives like Patna's Samagra Udyan Yojana are transforming cityscapes with green corridors, riverfront gardens, and eco-friendly materials, setting templates for sustainable urban development. At a global level, India continues to lead with the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), which promotes climate-proof infrastructure across sectors. These efforts reinforce India's commitment to SDG 13 (Climate Action) and the Paris Agreement, ensuring that future infrastructure is not only sustainable but also equipped to handle the intensifying impacts of climate change. Conclusion As India continues its rapid urbanization, integrating climate resilience into infrastructure planning is not just an environmental imperative but an economic and social necessity. By adopting green certifications, leveraging supportive policies, and embracing digital innovations, India can build infrastructure that not only withstands climate challenges but also promotes sustainable growth and improved quality of life for its citizens.
Express Tribune
12-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
'Over $100b needed for carbon-neutral energy sector'
Listen to article Pakistan is transitioning away from fossil fuels at a faster pace than many regional economies, with plans to generate 60% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030 to meet its emissions reduction targets. According to global data compiled by the Energy Institute, the share of fossil fuels in Pakistan's total energy consumption declined by 4.8 percentage points from 86.7% in 2019 to 81.9% in 2023. In comparison, the average decline in fossil fuel usage among low- and middle-income countries during the same period was just 0.8 percentage points (from 90.8% to 90.0%). Further, recent data released by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) reveals that clean energy sources, such as hydropower, nuclear, and other renewables, contributed approximately 54% to the country's energy mix last month. The government's move away from furnace oil, the most expensive source of power, is evident, as it accounted for only 1% of the energy mix in April. These figures show that, despite macroeconomic challenges, Pakistan currently holds a relatively cleaner energy mix compared to other Asian and low- and middle-income countries. Neighbouring countries like China and India generate approximately 61% and 75% of their electricity from coal, respectively. In contrast, Thar coal contributes only 13% to Pakistan's energy mix and has played a key role in ensuring grid reliability and affordability. "The energy baseload of Pakistan should be based on indigenous sources of Thar along with renewables to ensure affordability and mitigate geopolitical shocks. Developing economies, including Pakistan, require a balanced transition to renewable energy. Fossil fuels are crucial for short- to medium-term energy stability," said Asif Arslan Soomro, an independent economic and investment analyst. He added that balancing environmental goals with economic stability is crucial, as an abrupt shift from fossil fuels could disrupt growth and strain an already fragile economy. The energy transition will involve enhancing or transforming the entire energy system, and this significant investment relates to the development and upgradation of infrastructure, such as hydropower plants and transmission systems, as well as the phase-out of existing fossil fuel-based power plants. Pakistan requires over $100 billion in investment to transition to a carbon-neutral energy sector, with $50 billion needed to achieve its 60% renewable energy target by 2030, according to the climate ministry. Soomro noted that Pakistan has been ranked as the most vulnerable country to climate change in the Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2025 report, despite contributing less than 1% to global greenhouse gas emissions. "Even though its climate impact remains negligible, Pakistan has committed to unconditionally reduce its overall projected emissions by 15% by 2030. We have also committed to reduce emissions by a further 35%, conditional on the availability of required external financing," he added.
Euronews
17-05-2025
- General
- Euronews
Indigenous women are drawing ‘dream maps' to protect forests in India
At a small stream in India's eastern state of Odisha, Indigenous villagers catch eels and fish for a dinner celebrating an annual harvest festival. The bounty of communal farming, foraging and fishing marks the start of a new season. But the fish and other resources have been dwindling. 'Nowadays, the rains come late, affecting our farming, leading to a decrease in production,' said Sunita Muduli, a Paraja tribeswoman from Putpondi village. She stood on freshly tilled fields that would be sown again with millet before the increasingly unpredictable monsoon rains. The Indigenous Adivasis have lived in these villages for millennia. They continue traditional practices of farming millet and rice and foraging leaves and fruit from the forest to make plates, the local brew and more. With those practices under pressure from a changing climate, they are making their most significant effort yet to speak up for their community's needs, advocating for Indian authorities to protect and restore their lands as the nation of more than 1.4 billion people tries to adapt to a warming world. Women are leading the way. Muduli and others from 10 villages, with help from a local nongovernmental organisation, have surveyed and mapped out resources that are dwindling and what needs restoring. Comparing state government data from the 1960s with their results, they found that common areas in many of their villages had shrunk by up to 25 per cent. The women have created what are known as dream maps, showing their villages in their ideal states. The most prominent of their bright colours is green. Muduli and others plan to submit their maps and surveys to local government officials, the first step in requesting village development funds to preserve or restore their common areas. The women estimate that $2 million (€1.8mn) might be needed - an ambitious ask when India's poorer regions often struggle to secure and implement government projects. Still, the women believe they have a 50-50 chance of success. 'We want to make sure these resources are available for our children,' Muduli said. This is the first time that many of the women are formally leading an outward-facing community effort. They say it's giving them more confidence in speaking up about community needs. 'Our forest contains an abundance of diverse resources. Unfortunately, rainfall has reduced, temperatures have risen and our forest cover has dwindled. However, once we acquire the rights we deserve, our priority will be to revitalise and flourish our forest," said Saita Dhangada Majhi of Pangan Pani village. They seek rights over their common lands that will require outsiders, including authorities, to seek villagers' permission to make any changes to them. India is among the world's most vulnerable countries to climate impacts. According to the 2025 Climate Risk Index, the country between 1993 and 2022 was subject to 400 extreme events - including floods, heat waves and cyclones - causing 80,000 deaths and economic losses nearing $180 billion (€160bn). Odisha is one of India's poorest states and among the most vulnerable to climate impacts. A study by researchers from Odisha's Fakir Mohan University published in 2023 found that food production there had decreased by 40 per cent in the last 50 years due to climate change. Most Indian farmers rely on rain-fed agriculture, with about half of all farmed land dependent on downpours. As the monsoons become more unpredictable, livelihoods are affected. India's Indigenous people feel those impacts the most as their traditions depend greatly on forests and natural produce, said Bidyut Bidyut Mohanty of the Odisha-based nonprofit Society for Promotion of Rural Education and Development. The organisation helped the Odisha villages with the dream mapping process. Climate change is affecting 'their very existence,' Mohanty said, asserting that they have not contributed to the problem but are paying the price. The forest commons are 'not only considered the lungs but are also a hidden kitchen for Indigenous communities,' he said. The women's survey found that resources available a decade earlier had either dwindled or disappeared. In Muduli's village, the number of fruits such as mango, guava, java plum and Indian gooseberry had dropped drastically. Resources used to make traditional instruments and other items had become more rare. Climate experts said the Odisha project can be a model to be replicated across India and other nations. United Nations reports have said 80 per cent of the world's biodiversity lies in regions controlled by Indigenous peoples. Women from marginalised and vulnerable communities are affected the most by climate change, and the Indigenous women of Odisha are an inspiration, said Neha Saigal, a gender and climate expert at Bengaluru-based Asar Social Impact Advisors who is familiar with the mapping project. 'They are actually leading from the front,' she said. Their work could be critical in deciding where India's efforts on climate change should be focused, Saigal added, noting that the country is working on a national adaptation plan. It is not clear whether the dream maps will become part of that plan. The women behind them say their project has given them formal understanding of what they and their communities have long known intuitively. They want to pass that on for generations to come. 'Forest is our life," said Purnima Sisa of Badakichab village. "We have taken birth in this forest, and one day we will die in the forest. It is our life and livelihood.'
National Observer
15-05-2025
- General
- National Observer
In India, Indigenous women and their 'dream maps' aim to protect lands from climate change
At a small stream in India's eastern state of Odisha, Indigenous villagers catch eels and fish for a dinner celebrating an annual harvest festival. The bounty of communal farming, foraging and fishing marks the start of a new season. But the fish and other resources have been dwindling. 'Nowadays, the rains come late, affecting our farming, leading to a decrease in production,' said Sunita Muduli, a Paraja tribeswoman from Putpondi village. She stood on freshly tilled fields that would be sown again with millet before the increasingly unpredictable monsoon rains. The Indigenous Adivasis have lived in these villages for millennia. They continue traditional practices of farming millet and rice and foraging leaves and fruit from the forest to make plates, the local brew and more. With those practices under pressure from a changing climate, they are making their most significant effort yet to speak up for their community's needs, advocating for Indian authorities to protect and restore their lands as the nation of more than 1.4 billion people tries to adapt to a warming world. Women are leading the way. Muduli and others from 10 villages, with help from a local nongovernmental organization, have surveyed and mapped out resources that are dwindling and what needs restoring. Comparing state government data from the 1960s with their results, they found that common areas in many of their villages had shrunk by up to 25%. In India, Indigenous women and their 'dream maps' seek to protect lands from climate change. The women have created what are known as dream maps, showing their villages in their ideal states. The most prominent of their bright colors is green. Muduli and others plan to submit their maps and surveys to local government officials, the first step in requesting village development funds to preserve or restore their common areas. The women estimate that $2 million might be needed — an ambitious ask when India's poorer regions often struggle to secure and implement government projects. Still, the women believe they have a 50-50 chance of success. 'We want to make sure these resources are available for our children,' Muduli said. This is the first time that many of the women are formally leading an outward-facing community effort. They say it's giving them more confidence in speaking up about community needs. 'Our forest contains an abundance of diverse resources. Unfortunately, rainfall has reduced, temperatures have risen and our forest cover has dwindled. However, once we acquire the rights we deserve, our priority will be to revitalize and flourish our forest," said Saita Dhangada Majhi of Pangan Pani village. They seek rights over their common lands that will require outsiders, including authorities, to seek villagers' permission to make any changes to them. India is among the world's most vulnerable countries to climate impacts. According to the 2025 Climate Risk Index, the country between 1993 and 2022 was subject to 400 extreme events — including floods, heat waves and cyclones — causing 80,000 deaths and economic losses nearing $180 billion. Odisha is one of India's poorest states and among the most vulnerable to climate impacts. A study by researchers from Odisha's Fakir Mohan University published in 2023 found that food production there had decreased by 40% in the last 50 years due to climate change. Most Indian farmers rely on rain-fed agriculture, with about half of all farmed land dependent on downpours. As the monsoons become more unpredictable, livelihoods are affected. India's Indigenous people feel those impacts the most as their traditions depend greatly on forests and natural produce, said Bidyut Bidyut Mohanty of the Odisha-based nonprofit Society for Promotion of Rural Education and Development. The organization helped the Odisha villages with the dream mapping process. Climate change is affecting 'their very existence,' Mohanty said, asserting that they have not contributed to the problem but are paying the price. The forest commons are 'not only considered the lungs but are also a hidden kitchen for Indigenous communities,' he said. The women's survey found that resources available a decade earlier had either dwindled or disappeared. In Muduli's village, the number of fruits such as mango, guava, java plum and Indian gooseberry had dropped drastically. Resources used to make traditional instruments and other items had become more rare. Climate experts said the Odisha project can be a model to be replicated across India and other nations. United Nations reports have said 80% of the world's biodiversity lies in regions controlled by Indigenous peoples. Women from marginalized and vulnerable communities are affected the most by climate change, and the Indigenous women of Odisha are an inspiration, said Neha Saigal, a gender and climate expert at Bengaluru-based Asar Social Impact Advisors who is familiar with the mapping project. 'They are actually leading from the front,' she said. Their work could be critical in deciding where India's efforts on climate change should be focused, Saigal added, noting that the country is working on a national adaptation plan. It is not clear whether the dream maps will become part of that plan. The women behind them say their project has given them formal understanding of what they and their communities have long known intuitively. They want to pass that on for generations to come. 'Forest is our life," said Purnima Sisa of Badakichab village. "We have taken birth in this forest, and one day we will die in the forest. It is our life and livelihood.'
15-05-2025
- General
In India, Indigenous women and their 'dream maps' seek to protect lands from climate change
KORAPUT, India -- At a small stream in India's eastern state of Odisha, Indigenous villagers catch eels and fish for a dinner celebrating an annual harvest festival. The bounty of communal farming, foraging and fishing marks the start of a new season. But the fish and other resources have been dwindling. 'Nowadays, the rains come late, affecting our farming, leading to a decrease in production,' said Sunita Muduli, a Paraja tribeswoman from Putpondi village. She stood on freshly tilled fields that would be sown again with millet before the increasingly unpredictable monsoon rains. The Indigenous Adivasis have lived in these villages for millennia. They continue traditional practices of farming millet and rice and foraging leaves and fruit from the forest to make plates, the local brew and more. With those practices under pressure from a changing climate, they are making their most significant effort yet to speak up for their community's needs, advocating for Indian authorities to protect and restore their lands as the nation of more than 1.4 billion people tries to adapt to a warming world. Women are leading the way. Muduli and others from 10 villages, with help from a local nongovernmental organization, have surveyed and mapped out resources that are dwindling and what needs restoring. Comparing state government data from the 1960s with their results, they found that common areas in many of their villages had shrunk by up to 25%. The women have created what are known as dream maps, showing their villages in their ideal states. The most prominent of their bright colors is green. Muduli and others plan to submit their maps and surveys to local government officials, the first step in requesting village development funds to preserve or restore their common areas. The women estimate that $2 million might be needed — an ambitious ask when India's poorer regions often struggle to secure and implement government projects. Still, the women believe they have a 50-50 chance of success. 'We want to make sure these resources are available for our children,' Muduli said. This is the first time that many of the women are formally leading an outward-facing community effort. They say it's giving them more confidence in speaking up about community needs. 'Our forest contains an abundance of diverse resources. Unfortunately, rainfall has reduced, temperatures have risen and our forest cover has dwindled. However, once we acquire the rights we deserve, our priority will be to revitalize and flourish our forest," said Saita Dhangada Majhi of Pangan Pani village. They seek rights over their common lands that will require outsiders, including authorities, to seek villagers' permission to make any changes to them. India is among the world's most vulnerable countries to climate impacts. According to the 2025 Climate Risk Index, the country between 1993 and 2022 was subject to 400 extreme events — including floods, heat waves and cyclones — causing 80,000 deaths and economic losses nearing $180 billion. Odisha is one of India's poorest states and among the most vulnerable to climate impacts. A study by researchers from Odisha's Fakir Mohan University published in 2023 found that food production there had decreased by 40% in the last 50 years due to climate change. Most Indian farmers rely on rain-fed agriculture, with about half of all farmed land dependent on downpours. As the monsoons become more unpredictable, livelihoods are affected. India's Indigenous people feel those impacts the most as their traditions depend greatly on forests and natural produce, said Bidyut Bidyut Mohanty of the Odisha-based nonprofit Society for Promotion of Rural Education and Development. The organization helped the Odisha villages with the dream mapping process. Climate change is affecting 'their very existence,' Mohanty said, asserting that they have not contributed to the problem but are paying the price. The forest commons are 'not only considered the lungs but are also a hidden kitchen for Indigenous communities,' he said. The women's survey found that resources available a decade earlier had either dwindled or disappeared. In Muduli's village, the number of fruits such as mango, guava, java plum and Indian gooseberry had dropped drastically. Resources used to make traditional instruments and other items had become more rare. Climate experts said the Odisha project can be a model to be replicated across India and other nations. United Nations reports have said 80% of the world's biodiversity lies in regions controlled by Indigenous peoples. Women from marginalized and vulnerable communities are affected the most by climate change, and the Indigenous women of Odisha are an inspiration, said Neha Saigal, a gender and climate expert at Bengaluru-based Asar Social Impact Advisors who is familiar with the mapping project. 'They are actually leading from the front,' she said. Their work could be critical in deciding where India's efforts on climate change should be focused, Saigal added, noting that the country is working on a national adaptation plan. It is not clear whether the dream maps will become part of that plan. The women behind them say their project has given them formal understanding of what they and their communities have long known intuitively. They want to pass that on for generations to come. 'Forest is our life," said Purnima Sisa of Badakichab village. "We have taken birth in this forest, and one day we will die in the forest. It is our life and livelihood.' ___
