Climate Change Governance in India: Mapping the Role of the Cities

Abstract

Cities are at the forefront of climate action as never before: they concentrate risk but also provide opportunities to innovate. Situated at the crossroads of extensive urbanization, unequal development, and high climate vulnerability, Indian cities face an urgent imperative to governance to current and projected climate change impacts. While the poor and marginalised who live in multidimensional poverty and face acute deprivation bear the brunt of the consequences. Climate change not only exacerbates their existing inequalities, but also leads to disproportionate sharing of climate change risks, necessitating a shift from mere climate change mitigation to climate change adaptation and recognition that the involvement of all government levels, particularly local governments, has become a sine qua non for climate change adaptation to work because the impacts of climate change are manifestly local. This article argues that Indian urban local governments must occupy a definitive role in the Indian multi-lateral climate change governance framework. It argues that despite the important role played by urban local governments in combating climate change through adaptation strategies, multi-level governance framework is completely skewed in favour of the dominant and decisive role played by national and state governments. This article examines the role of Indian cities in climate change and scrutinizes the multi-level governance.