Latest news with #urbanisation
Zawya
5 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
African agriculture won't thrive on fertiliser subsidies but working markets
The UN Secretary-General Special Envoy Agnes Kalibata works with the United Nations system and key partners to provide leadership, guidance and strategic direction towards the Food Systems Summit. Dr Kalibata is the founder and executive director of Connecting Africa Now. She has also served as president of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (Agra) for a decade. Prior to joining Agra, Dr Kalibata was Rwanda's Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources from 2008 to 2014. She spoke to Jackson Mutinda on the sidelines of the Standard Bank Africa Unlocked 2025 in Cape Town about the future of African agriculture. What myths about African agriculture do we need to bust?There are quite a number of myths about African agriculture. And being here in this meeting, where we are with bankers, the private sector, and institutions that fund agriculture, it's important that we paint a picture, and help them understand where the sector is at and where it's going. African agriculture has tripled in volume, in a way matching the population. Of course, there are still issues of access, and those problems will always be there. But, in the last 30 years, we grew from 400 million metric tonnes in volume of food to 1.2 billion metric tonnes per year. That's important, the sector is growing. It's critical to understand the drivers of growth. One of the biggest drivers of growth, of course, is urbanisation. Africa has urbanised pretty fast. In the same period, we moved from around 135 million people living in cities to around 500 million. That's a huge population, which is diversifying its diets, demanding different types of food. So, we've seen a surge in vegetable need, we've seen a surge in fruit need, a surge in meat need. We've also seen a surge in the need for processed food. Another thing is that lot of people think about African agriculture as subsistence, meaning we all grow food in our backyard, especially the rural population. But, the truth is, 55-60 percent of the food eaten in rural Africa is bought, meaning it's not grown in the backyard. It's bought, either because economies are improving and people can afford it, or people need different things from what they grow. Whatever the cause, that market is growing. The next myth is that we need big business versus the type of businesses we have. The average African business today, an SME in agriculture, is $300,000-$500,000. They're pretty small, compared to businesses we have out there. But these businesses are putting in a lot of weight -- 85 percent of the food we are eating in cities, in villages, is moved around by these SMEs. They provide the logistics to 1.2 billion metric tonnes of food a year. So, these are some of the things you want financial institutions to hear, because you want these businesses funded. We still have limitations, of course. But where the market signal is clear, the businesses move -- agriculture moves. And many of the limitations are because we still need to invest in infrastructure; to invest in market development; in policies and finance needs to catch up. But the growth is there. What is the place of technology in African agriculture?There are a number of ways to look at technology in African agriculture. Technology is making it easier for agriculture to be profitable. So, in terms of productivity, if I talked about technology that is responsible for productivity, you want to be using high-yielding seeds, good fertilisers -- very specific fertilisers so that there's value for money. You want to be doing mechanisation. (Kenyan software company) Hello Tractor was born out of something like that. That's how economies are built. That's why in the past, they had projected that if we invested 10 percent of our budgets in agriculture, we should see a 6 percent increase in GDP. So, there's no sector that is more responsive to investment than agriculture. But, of course, it has to be accompanied by credible access to markets. So that is one role of technology on the productive side. There's now an increasing role of technology where access to information is much better, and we need information now more than before. Weather information is becoming really critical. Market information: It is the only real reason farmers farm -- they want to have markets. And then there's an opportunity for extension, because it's an area that is weakly invested by governments. So, if we can find ways of using modern technology -- AI-driven -- to reach farmers faster and better in their environment, then we can get a lot more done. So, there are opportunities there. But also technology is fast-tracking research. Things that would have happened over 100 years are happening in months. And the technologies are getting to farmers. So, the place of technology is huge. The last and probably most important, it is attracting young people to agriculture. You see young people that have all sorts of drones monitoring insects, that are influencing spraying, that are influencing irrigation systems. Now, there's real focus on innovations in the agricultural sector, through and by young people. Looking at Africa, what countries would you say have real potential for agricultural production, for feeding regions, and perhaps whose potential has not been exploited?There are a number of ways to look at Africa's production potential. Again, looking at it in general is a good place to start, without pushing it in any particular country. We talked about Africa importing commodities it can produce. So, let's talk about the four commodities worth $34 million we are importing. That's rice, wheat, maize and oilseeds. Wheat and oilseeds can be comfortably produced in Southern Africa. Zambia, Zimbabwe , and South Africa are very good producers of wheat. Mozambique and Malawi are very good producers of soybean. Tanzania is a good producer of sunflower. A huge part of East Africa can produce good rice, at very low cost, and competitively. A huge part of West Africa can produce rice, and very competitively. The real market is the person who can produce as much and has to import. Earlier we were talking about neighbouring countries: One is importing from Brazil; one is producing surplus and has nowhere to put it, mostly because the connectivity in those two countries is very poor. They share borders, but the transport ecosystem is poor. If we are transporting, we are using trucks instead of rail, which costs $200, as opposed to $6 a tonne. What type of business would that be? When I was working at Agra, a number of regions had been mapped out as food baskets, based on the production potential. These regions can produce enough food for Africa. But for that to be of value, Africa would have to trade with Africa. Countries would have to open borders more, and the African continental trade would have to work. What is your assessment of Africa's policies towards agriculture? Are we doing well? Why hasn't the 10 percent budget allocation worked in many of the places you know of?You know, I'm not so much worried about the 10 percent of money going into agriculture as I am about the quality of whatever money that goes in, and where it goes. I'm worried about the quality. Because, you see, if you put in 5 percent in the right places, it adds up. But if you put in 10 percent in the wrong places, then the value is not there. It's as simple as that. And if you keep putting it in the same place, it leaves many other places uninvested. So for agriculture to work, infrastructure must work. You must reach farmers; you must have proper roads and rail. For agriculture to work, markets must work. It's not just production. Even production needs irrigation. But many of our countries are investing 70 percent of agriculture budgets on fertiliser subsidies. That's what I'm worried about -- fertiliser subsidies. Because fertiliser subsidies will not deliver African agriculture. I'm not saying we don't subsidise the sector. I really care about how we make it easy for farmers to access what they need. they need irrigation, they need localisation, they need access to finance. Where are women in the agricultural revolution?Women in many places are 50 percent, sometimes even 60 percent of the workforce in agriculture. For a number of reasons. Women haven't had the level of access to finance or to means that they need to be productive. But this is changing. For example, Agra created a platform that has 10,000 women businesses that are registered. It's called Value4Her. It ensures that women can access information on agriculture: information on value addition, information and support in financing, information on how to support and create businesses. As they grow bigger, they go on to have an investing fund, the African Enterprise Challenge Fund. But the young businesses are supported through small merchant grants. So, this type of ecosystem allows women to be in business in agriculture and to be creative. But it's not the only one. We do have a programme with MasterCard Foundation that puts emphasis on funding. At least 80 percent of the target financing is for women in agriculture. Let's talk about the stocktake of the Food Systems Summit that is coming up. What are we looking forward to?Every two years, from the summit that happened in 2021, we take stock of the progress we are making because the agriculture sector needs to be transforming. It needs to increase productivity in some areas. It needs to reduce waste in others. For us in Africa, we care about increased production and improved access to nutrition. For other parts of the world, where excessive production is happening, we care about reducing the impact of that on the environment. So, that means the sector needs to be transforming. This year, the stocktake will be looking at what type of innovation ecosystem has been put in, what type of progress we have made, with a real focus on investment. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
South China Morning Post
15-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's dated urban-development model must change, Beijing says at rare meeting
At a surprising meeting of China's political elite, it was declared that a sea change is needed in the nation's urban development – shifting from a phase of large-scale, incremental expansion to one focused on optimising and enhancing existing resources. Advertisement The message, coming amid a persistent real estate slump and slowing urbanisation , was delivered at the two-day Central Urban Work Conference that ended on Tuesday. In 2015, Beijing held its first such conference in decades, and it kicked off a campaign to boost homebuying and shore up investment. This time around, Beijing has been pursuing a new growth framework for the beleaguered property sector. Leadership has also vowed that migrant workers will receive more urban citizenship benefits. With 67 per cent of its 1.4 billion people now living in urban areas, China needs to 'proactively adapt to changing circumstances' and transform its approach to city planning, officials said at the conference. After decades of rapid urbanisation, China's city growth has now entered 'a phase of stable development' where more focus should be put on human well-being, efficiency and governance, according to an official readout of the meeting. It was attended by President Xi Jinping and the other six members of the Politburo Standing Committee – the central leadership's highest decision-making body. 01:58 China GDP figures beat market forecasts despite looming US tariff risks China GDP figures beat market forecasts despite looming US tariff risks Officials vowed to intensify efforts to create a 'new model' for China's property development, and renovations of urban villages and repairs to dilapidated housing are among the focal points.
ABC News
06-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Badly built housing propels the heat pandemic in Asia's cities
It is a typical summer's afternoon in Gujarat, India. Women and children are listless as they swelter in their homes in the 34-degree Celsius heat. It's even hotter outside. Families that have moved into affordable housing units built in the last few years are finding their comfort and health have not been sufficiently considered in the design and construction of the new dwellings. There are similar issues in Indonesia — where one study showed most household energy use was dedicated to trying unsuccessfully to stay cool — and Australia, where tenants in rental properties were regularly experiencing indoor temperatures above 30C in summer. We are experiencing a heat pandemic, and it's exacerbated by lousy buildings. Tens of thousands of people were made ill during India's heatwave. ( AP: Manish Swarup ) Changing the way we build homes For that to happen it requires changing the way we build, so homes are suited for future climates. India recorded more than 40,000 suspected heat stroke cases and at least 110 confirmed deaths between March 1 and June 18 2024, when its north-western and eastern parts recorded more than twice the usual number of heatwave days. Increasing average and extreme temperatures, urbanisation, accelerating cooling energy demand, and an ageing population are increasing the vulnerability of millions to heat-related health risks globally. For most people in Gujarat, supplementing the poor thermal performance of their homes with air-conditioning is unaffordable. Cooling is a top priority when finances allow. But this demand for cooling is accelerating growth in demand for electricity, which is still predominantly generated with fossil fuels, thus increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and global warming. India has approved the construction of 8 million new affordable housing units by the end of 2025. If these buildings are not designed to enable people to stay cool and healthy without air-conditioning, then millions of people will become more vulnerable to the health and social impacts of climate change. India is building millions of new residential apartments across the country. ( AP: Amit Dave ) Simple, low-cost solutions Simple low-cost design changes can make a big difference. Using more insulating wall materials, ensuring windows have appropriate shading, providing ventilation louvres above doors and insect screens so windows can be opened without letting in mosquitoes, can reduce annual cooling loads by around 25 per cent compared to standard practice, research by Monash University and the Global Buildings Performance Network shows. Research into energy use in Indian and Indonesian homes is showing that this is not unique to India. As global warming progresses, people in already warm climates around the world are becoming increasingly vulnerable to overheating in their homes. A study in the Indonesian city of Samarinda showed that most household energy use was dedicated to trying to stay cool. Yet, the poor design of houses led to average indoor temperature and humidity being about the same as outdoor conditions — above 27C and 70 per cent humidity – even when air conditioner thermostats were set to 20C. Lack of shading and natural ventilation coupled with poorly insulated and constructed walls and roofs means buildings heat up quickly and let cooled air leak out. Demand for air coolers always rises when India is hit with heatwaves. ( AP: Amit Dave ) Changing the debate Despite some Australian state governments and municipalities declaring a 'climate emergency' and producing action plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030, these have had a limited impact on the climatic adequacy of new housing and renovations. Planning controls applicable to new townhouses for example, are not able to be modified to ensure buildings provide thermal comfort and zero-net emissions without state government approval. Councils also seldom have influence over the performance of single dwelling proposals or renovations beyond enforcing the National Construction Code. If climate change benefits don't convince governments and industry, the health and economic benefits might. Yet this is not a narrative currently framing the debate about policy reforms in the buildings sector. A global evidence review showed the benefits of implementing policy for zero-emissions buildings go beyond keeping global warming well below 2C. A key finding was that sustainable building practices — those that reduce carbon emissions across all phases of the building cycle from design and material choice to supply chains and waste management — deliver substantial physical and mental health benefits. There is also evidence that up to one fifth of the value of energy savings from well designed and implemented energy efficiency building retrofitting and renovation policies relate to direct health benefits such as lower rates of respiratory illness and heart disease. Researchers say sustainable building practices can deliver substantial physical and mental health benefits. ( ABC Central West: Hugh Hogan ) There are health benefits In the European Union, direct health benefits of energy efficiency building renovation was estimated at 2.86 billion euros by 2020. Indirect benefits include better physical and mental health. There were also significant job creation and economic benefits. Each $US1 million invested in energy efficient buildings creates about 14 job-years of net employment with as much as 16 million jobs per annum possible in the green building market globally. It also drives improvement in productivity of the construction value chain. Policies such as mandating net-zero energy performance in building codes leads to a positive return on investment to public finances over time. For example, direct and co-benefits of energy efficiency measures have the potential to add 1 per cent growth in GDP in Germany. Higher energy efficiency performance also leads to lower home operating costs. Energy efficiency measures to eliminate fuel poverty in 2.5 million homes in the UK provided a net economic benefit of 1.2 billion British pounds in 2008. Other non-health benefits reported included cost savings to households, educational benefits of enhanced lighting and increased energy security. As part of the review, the research team conducted interviews with policy influencers in Indonesia and India, and shot video of people at home to determine whether the lived experience of people living in more sustainable housing matched the evidence base. Householders talked about cost savings and the health benefits from moving into affordable sustainable housing in Jakarta. Which begs the question: if sustainable building delivers so many 'win-wins' and could end our 'heat pandemic' why aren't all new buildings sustainable? It turns out the health and other benefits of sustainable building which have been reported in research are either not well known in practice, or not often used to promote sustainable building. Because sustainable building has been viewed primarily through the lens of climate change, other sectors that could benefit such as health, transport, energy and real estate have not been effectively brought into the conversation. Doing so could help convince more people that sustainable building is the ultimate 'win-win'. Peter Graham is an Associate Professor in Architecture at Monash University and Executive Director of the Global Buildings Performance Network. Professor Peter Bragge is Director of Monash Sustainable Development Institute's Evidence Review Service.
Telegraph
05-06-2025
- General
- Telegraph
I answered an advert to help a boomer with his phone and now we're best friends
A century ago, being friends with someone much older or younger than you was nothing unusual. Close-knit communities, multigenerational households and shared social spaces, from churches to village pubs, naturally fostered connections across age groups. Social life was lived out in the open, with village fêtes and local dances welcoming young and old, and chats over garden fences. Now, the different generations seem worlds apart. Divided by politics and technology, they're often pitted against each other across social media, with older boomers a figure of fun rather than respect. But while our communal structure has faded, eroded by urbanisation, globalisation and digital culture, there's a growing recognition of the value that intergenerational friendships bring – not just for emotional well-being, but for building empathy in an increasingly polarised world. While romantic age-gap relationships often grab the headlines, platonic bonds across the generations are far more common than we might think, with nearly four in 10 adults (37 per cent) having a close friend at least 15 years older or younger. But why do these connections matter? Irene S Levine, a psychologist and friendship expert, says these relationships can be uniquely enriching, particularly in tumultuous times: 'Younger generations bring vitality and energy to their friendships, while older ones enable young people to foreshadow their older years and learn from a mentor,' she explains. Here, we meet three sets of friends who have forged lasting bonds despite their 20-plus-year age gaps. 'Susie doesn't see me as some old fart she has to babysit' Susie Flory, 28, and Janie Deal, 72, from Hampshire, bonded over their love of cooking and now have a shared Instagram account together When Susie, then 16, wandered into Janie's kitchen in Hampshire looking for a catering job, neither of them knew it would spark a friendship that would span more than a decade. 'She had hair rollers in,' Susie recalls. 'From the minute we first met, there was just this good vibe. We were both smiley, chatty and full of energy.' Janie, now 72, remembers Susie as a 'gorgeous, tall young girl' with an unexpectedly refined palate, something she clocked from the very first mango yogurt Susie made for her. 'It was spot on,' she says. 'I employed her for the odd job that summer and our relationship just grew from there.' Twelve years later, the two cooks are inseparable despite more than 40 years' age difference between them. They walk Janie's dogs, attend events, make reels for their shared Instagram account and dissect former Made in Chelsea cast members Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo's NewlyWeds podcast together. The pair talk about everything from herbs to mental health to sex. 'Susie talks to me the way she talks to her girlfriends,' Janie says. 'Not like I'm some old fart she has to babysit.' Susie agrees: 'We literally talk about the same s--- I talk about with my 28-year-old mates.' Although they first connected over a love of food, their bond is rooted in mutual respect and a shared appetite for life. Janie credits her young-at-heart mindset to an unorthodox path: 'I got married late, had a baby before I got married – and not with the man I eventually married. I suppose that made me modern, early on.' She sees a grounded maturity in Susie beyond her years, while Susie describes herself as 'a bit of an old soul'. Their friendship is refreshingly unfiltered. 'We're very honest with each other,' Janie says. 'You [Susie] can tell if something's annoyed me, but it's so nice to have that level of openness.' Susie, who has chronic ADHD and admits to a ' way of living, credits Janie with teaching her the power of structure and forward planning. 'She changed my life,' Susie says. 'She showed me you can do all the hard stuff before the [cooking] job and still have time to get your nails done.' But the learning goes both ways. 'Susie's made me more daring – with spices and with life,' Janie smiles. 'She's the rock star of the condiment world. I've become more confident, less anxious. I've always had a spring in my step, but it's even bigger now since becoming friends with Susie. She's made me feel more whole.' Susie also credits Janie with reshaping how she thinks about ageing. 'She's shown me you don't have to slow down. Janie's got more energy than most 20-year-olds. She's made me unafraid of ageing by showing me that I have loads of time to do the stuff I love.' Janie, in turn, says Susie has helped her relax about life: 'Her 'just sort it out, fix it' approach has rubbed off on me and made me much more chilled. I used to panic if I was late; now, I just know it'll all be fine.' What truly anchors their friendship, though, is a shared love of life's simple pleasures: 'Whether it's a sunny day or a glass of wine, we go nuts for it,' Susie says. 'For both of us, happiness really does come from the little things.' 'We bonded over shared losses' Adele Walton, 25, met Tony Woodcock, 90, from East Sussex, when she answered his ad for help with his phone If a 90-year-old Brexiteer and a 25-year-old Left-wing activist walked into a pub together, you'd assume they had little in common. But in the case of Tony and Adele, you'd be quite wrong. On paper, they couldn't be more different: Adele can't stand classical music or poetry, both of which Tony adores. While he finds it difficult to get out and about, she fills her days with aerial yoga and has just finished writing her first book. Yet they have bonded over a shared love of literature and charity shops. Both are Sally Rooney fans, though unimpressed by her latest, and Tony has watched Normal People no fewer than 50 times. Adele, meanwhile, delights in rummaging through his latest charity shop hauls. 'Despite our differences, we've got a friendship grounded in shared values and interests,' Adele says. 'Social media tells us we can only be friends with people who are just like us. But actually, that's not true at all. Tony and I couldn't be more different, and that's exactly why it works.' The two first met three years ago after Tony, who was struggling to understand how to use his smartphone, placed an advertisement in the local newspaper that read 'intelligent pensioner requires smartphone tuition'. Adele, newly arrived in Lewes, spotted the 'bold and funny' ad and left him a voicemail. Soon, she was at his flat, guiding him through apps and video calls. Since then, Tony has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, meaning they've had to return to the basics, but as he puts it with a smile, 'It keeps her coming and I mean, who wouldn't want a girl like Adele visiting every week?' Over the years, the pair have celebrated birthdays together, seen in the new year with Adele's family, gone out for coffee and enjoyed watching the football at Tony's sheltered accommodation. In that time, both have also experienced profound loss. Adele lost her sister to online harm; Tony, his ex-wife, his dog Kiki and his stepdaughter. Many of their conversations have turned to death, grief and ageing. 'Talking to Tony about loss has been incredibly eye-opening,' Adele says. 'It's made me far less afraid of death. Our conversations are definitely enriched by our age difference.' Tony adds: 'We'd already bonded before those losses, but they've brought us closer because we have both suffered during the same period.' Their friendship is also a source of encouragement. 'Tony motivates me to live life to the fullest and to see every opportunity as exciting and a privilege rather than a stressful burden,' Adele says. Tony proudly reads out sections of Adele's book, Logging Off: The Human Cost of Our Digital World, at coffee mornings in his sheltered community. 'Adele's book has enabled my group to connect on a more serious level and has helped us to understand a wider section of humanity. She's also made me realise I must go back to university because I'm very envious of her first-class degree.' 'There's nothing we can't discuss' Sonica Beckmann, 38, and Merrill April, 60, from London, met at work and have become best friends Sonica and Merrill met 15 years ago at a law firm in Bristol, where Sonica was a trainee solicitor and Merrill was a training partner. From the outset, they formed a natural connection, and what began as a professional relationship quickly blossomed into a deep and lasting friendship. Sonica thought Merrill was 'really cool', while Merrill was drawn to Sonica's authentic, friendly nature – a 'breath of fresh air' in their formal, hierarchical workplace. Merrill, a devoted fan of Diana, Princess of Wales, lives by her words: 'Life is mostly froth and bubble; two things stand like stone: kindness in another's trouble, courage in our own.' Meeting Sonica felt like finding a kindred spirit who shared those values. For them, it was never about age but a shared sense of purpose and like-mindedness. Just six weeks into her training contract, Sonica lost her father. 'It was a devastating time, and Merrill took me under her wing with compassion and grace,' Sonica explains. 'Since then, she has remained one of my greatest champions, offering guidance, encouragement and unwavering support throughout every chapter of my life. 'My children adore her and proudly call her Auntie Merrill. The kids were even the first on the dance floor at her wedding, which speaks volumes about how close we are.' Despite Sonica spending 10 years abroad as an expat, their friendship never faltered. Merrill flew out to visit Sonica in Kuwait and they have 'shared countless meals, far too much tequila, late-night conversations and hilarious nights out since'. Sonica recently had the joy of organising Merrill's hen party. 'There is nothing we cannot discuss, from politics and dating to the deeper questions of life,' explains Sonica. 'She gives me steady, thoughtful advice, while I help keep her in tune with younger generational perspectives and encourage mischief.' Their friendship is a two-way street of learning and inspiration. Sonica has taught Merrill not to let others judge or pigeonhole her, describing her as 'eternally optimistic'. 'She just keeps going and never lets anything get her down,' Merrill says. Meanwhile, Merrill has helped Sonica adopt a healthier lifestyle. 'I've struggled with depression and anxiety, and Merrill showed me how exercise, especially CrossFit, can help clear my mental fog,' Sonica explains. Though they share core values, their different life experiences bring fresh perspectives. Merrill reflects, 'We're at different phases of life. Sometimes, one of us is up while the other is down, whether it's relationships, finances, or parenting. That difference allows us to support and learn from each other. When I was younger, I panicked about how things would turn out in my career, but I can reassure Sonica now, having been there and done that.' Sonica adds with a smile, 'A nice thing about the age gap is that we're not competing. There's no rivalry, just mutual support.' Five tips for forming intergenerational friendships Irene S Levine, PhD, is a psychologist and friendship expert. She is the producer of The Friendship Blog and author of the seminal book on female friendship 'Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup with Your Best Friend'. Here's her advice: 1. Embrace people who are different Recognise that not all your friends must be 'just like you', in terms of age, gender, social status, lifestyle and so on. If you do not, you limit the universe of potential friends. There is much to be gained by expanding your circle to people who are different. They can add breadth to our lives. 2. Take part in social activities Place yourself in situations where you can meet friends based on shared interests. Join a community group, religious group or gym, or take a class or engage in a hobby, where you can meet the same people on a regular basis and see who might be 'friend-worthy' to you. For example, mah-jong (popular in the 1950s and 1960s) now engages people of all ages because the game is social. 3. Mine your neighbourhood Proximity makes it easy to form friendships and convenient to nurture them. An older or younger neighbour may welcome your friendship, companionship or help. Get outdoors. Walk in a local park or around your area and initiate a smile, hello, and begin a brief conversation. 4. Look for friends at work Working people spend a good amount of time with their colleagues, whether in the office or remotely. Since workers already have something in common, it's an organic way to make friendships with people of different ages and life circumstances. 5. Be open to change Don't succumb to the myth that everyone already has their friends. Friendships at every age are dynamic and change over time. People come and go in our lives as their interests and life circumstances change.
BBC News
02-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Monsoon mayhem: Why lashing rains wreak havoc annually in India's cities
"Who is responsible for this mess?"The question recently echoed across India's financial capital Mumbai as thousands of residents once again found themselves stranded, soaked and rains brought the city to a standstill, and this was before the monsoon had even begun in full swing. Roads turned into rivers, vehicles broke down mid-commute and low-lying neighbourhoods were waterlogged within hours. Even a newly-built underground metro station could not withstand the heavy downpour as photos and videos of the station flooded with muddy water went viral. The pre-monsoon deluge once again exposed the city's fragile infrastructure and sparked widespread outrage on social Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), one of India's richest civic organisations responsible for maintaining Mumbai's infrastructure, initially blamed the problem on rubbish clogging the drains and debris from metro construction, The Hindustan Times newspaper criticism, the BMC installed de-watering pumps in flood-prone areas and began manually clearing waste from drains to prevent further waterlogging. But for many residents, the action came too crisis is neither new - nor is it unique to Delhi in the north to Bengaluru in the south, India's biggest cities flood every monsoon season. Roads collapse, drains overflow, infrastructure is overwhelmed and traffic grinds to a blame rapid unplanned urbanisation, poor infrastructure and years of environmental neglect as the root causes of this problem. "The pace of urban expansion has far exceeded the evolution of supporting infrastructure, particularly in water and drainage systems," says Dikshu Kukreja, an architect and urban planner based in Delhi."Many cities rely on outdated systems designed decades ago. And in the process of unchecked expansion, natural drainage channels, wetlands and water bodies that once absorbed excess rainwater have been built over or neglected," he say there's no one-size-fits-all solution as each city faces unique challenges and factors such as geography, population and climate must be considered when designing effective receives 80% of its annual rainfall during the monsoon season, which usually starts from June and continues until monsoon is crucial for agriculture and the livelihoods of millions of Indian farmers. They rely on seasonal showers in parts of the country where proper irrigation channels are experts say climate change has made erratic weather - such as unseasonal rains, flash floods and droughts linked to extreme heat - a more regular phenomenon, directly affecting millions of year the monsoon arrived a week early in parts of southern India, catching authorities unprepared. "A depression developed over the eastern central Arabian Sea which was instrumental in pulling up the monsoon current," says Mahesh Palawat, vice-president of meteorology and climate change at weather forecasting company Skymet. In Delhi, the Minto bridge has become a symbol of the city's annual monsoon chaos. Almost every year, after heavy rain, a bus or lorry gets stuck under the bridge - an image that highlights the city's struggle with urban year, Delhi recorded its wettest May since 1901, with more than 185mm of rainfall, according to the Indian weather department. Many residents reported damage to their property. At least four people were killed and dozens more were injured in one of the two heavy storms that hit the city in May, according to media in Bengaluru, more than 2,000kms (1,240 miles) from the capital, the problem looks different but its root cause is the same. Once known for its network of lakes that helped manage excess rainwater, Bengaluru has seen many of these water bodies encroached upon. In their place now stand apartment complexes, business hubs and roads - leaving the city vulnerable to flooding. "Bengaluru is made up of three major valleys through which water naturally flows. Most of the city's lakes are located in these valleys," explains Ram Prasad, a lake conservation valleys were originally designated as no-construction zones but over the years, encroachment has taken place and later changes in the law permitted infrastructure projects to be built in the area, he says. "When you convert lakes - which traditionally act as flood buffers - into built-up areas, the water has nowhere to go. So, what we're seeing in Bengaluru today is the result of poor urban planning." Mr Prasad points out that Bengaluru, which sits atop a hill, was never meant to flood and the current situation is entirely of building norms, especially construction that narrows stormwater drains or builds directly over them, have only made things worse, he Mumbai faces natural challenges due to its geography. For example, many parts of Mumbai are low-lying and close to the sea, which makes them more vulnerable to flooding during heavy rains and high experts say it's human actions that have made things much worse: cutting down mangroves, which normally act like natural barriers against floods, and building on floodplains where water is supposed to drain."The breakdown is systemic - it begins with planning that often doesn't account for future climate variabilities, gets exacerbated by poor execution and is compounded by weak enforcement of regulations," Mr Kukerja says. "Political will is often reactive - responding to disasters rather than investing in long-term resilience."This isn't just a big city problem. Smaller towns often suffer equally, if not more. Over the weekend, at least 30 people died in India's northeastern states after heavy rains triggered flooding and landslides. Tens of thousands have been affected, with rescue efforts under way. So, can anything be done to prevent this?"Yes," says Mr Kukreja, but only if it is part of a long-term, co-ordinated suggests using mapping and real-time sensors to identify high-risk zones and alert communities. Predictive models can also help authorities plan better responses."But technology alone is not a fix, it needs to be paired with responsive governance and community involvement," he India's cities to withstand the rains, they need more than just de-watering pumps and quick fixes. They need forward-thinking planning, before the damage is BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
