The Indian government on September 11 launched the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF) 2.0 to help cities combat climate change, along with the Streets for People Challenge that aims to make cities pedestrian friendly.
With the lifting of the lockdown in several states, many cities face challenges in providing safe, affordable, and equitable modes of transport that enable social distancing. Limited public transport options, narrow, crowded sidewalks particularly in market places and deterioration of mental health, are key issues that must be addressed on priority.
“The launch of these initiatives today aims to address urban challenges in two of the key areas - climate change and livability," Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri said.
It is estimated that climate change will impact India's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2-6 percent on an annual basis, which means that our future development goals and investments will also be severely affected if we do not address climate risks now, he said.
“This year we plan to take the assessment and support to beyond our 100 smart cities in India. The idea is to hand-hold, support, and facilitate Indian cities to build on their current initiatives and mainstream climate resilience in the ongoing urban development activities to future-proof our investments and meet sustainable development goals," he said.
The objective of the CSCAF is to provide a clear roadmap for cities to combat climate change while planning and implementing their actions, including investments. In the last decade, an increasing frequency of cyclones, floods, heat waves, water scarcity and drought-like conditions have had adverse impact on several cities.
Such extreme events and risks cause loss of life as well as impact the economic growth. In this context, the CSCAF initiative intends to inculcate a climate-sensitive approach to urban planning and development in India.
Pedestrianisation of streets for walking and creating public spaces is a crucial step towards mitigating these issues. Cities around the world, such as Bogota, Berlin, and Milan, have responded by transforming streets for walking and cycling to ensure safe mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This assessment framework was developed after review of existing frameworks and assessment approaches adopted throughout the world followed by series of extensive consultative process with more than 26 organizations and 60 experts from different thematic areas.
The framework has 28 indicators across five categories namely: (i) Energy and Green Buildings, (ii) Urban Planning, Green Cover & Biodiversity, (iii) Mobility and Air Quality, (iv) Water Management, and (v) Waste Management.
The Climate Centre for Cities under National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is supporting the MoHUA in the implementation of the CSCAF.
The Streets for People Challenge is the response to the need for making cities more walkable and pedestrian friendly. The Challenge builds on the advisory issued by the MoHUA for the holistic planning for pedestrian-friendly market spaces earlier this year.
The challenge will support cities across the country to develop a unified vision of streets for people in consultation with stakeholders and citizens. Adopting a participatory approach, cities will be guided to launch their own design competitions to gather innovative ideas from professionals for quick, innovative, and low-cost tactical solutions.
It aims to inspire cities to create walking-friendly and vibrant streets through quick, innovative, and low-cost measures. All cities participating in the challenge shall be encouraged to use the ‘test-learn-scale’ approach to initiate both, flagship and neighbourhood walking interventions.
The interventions can include inter alia creating pedestrian-friendly streets in high footfall areas, re-imagining under-flyover spaces, re-vitalizing dead neighbourhood spaces, and creating walking links through parks and institutional areas.
Fit India Mission, under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, along with the India programme of the Institute for Transport Development and Policy (ITDP) have partnered with the Smart Cities Mission to support the challenge.
Experts said the CSCAF will support cities in planning and managing measures to address climate change.
Anshuman Magazine, chairman and CEO - India, South East Asia, Middle East & Africa, CBRE, said the framework will inculcate a climate-sensitive approach to urban planning and development in India and will lead to sustainable growth and economic development. This initiative will contribute towards building climate resilience and overall sustainable development.
Anindya Mallick, partner, Deloitte India said given the population density of most of Indian cities, it is important that urban challenges in terms of climate change risks and related disaster situations are identified, assessed and mitigation measures planned.
“The climate smart cities assessment framework 2020 will support the cities in planning and managing measures for addressing climate change related aspects that may affect the cities and its people. The framework addressed aspects of environment and resource sustainability across the water management, waste management, air quality, energy and green cover and bio-diversity," he said.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
