Ministry of Urban Development

Government of India

The Centre of Excellence

for
Urban Development & Climate Change
Cyclones
Storms

Land slides CapacityBuilding

Earthquake Infrastructure
Heat Island

Action Plans
Infrastructure Air pollution
Floods-Droughts Resilience Policy
Vulnerability

Contingency Plan

Management Climate Change Disaster Sensitivity

Governance Adaptation Preparedness
Sustainability Mitigation Smart
Lightning
City
Heat Waves
Socio-Economic Gender
Environment & Heath
Integrated Research and Action for Development
Integrated Research and
Action for Development
 IRADe-The Centre
Themes and Projects
of Excellence (CoE)
Climate Change and Cities
In recognition of demonstrated long-term yyClimate Vulnerability Profiles of 20 Indian Cities
expertise and quality work, the Ministry of Urban
yyPolicy Brief on Emerging Mechanisms and Responses of Cities to
Development, Government of India, designated
Climate – ACCCRN
IRADe as the Centre of Excellence for Urban
yyRapid assessment of vulnerabilities to climate change of Indian cities
Development and Climate Change. Since 2008,
yyWorking Paper on HIGS Framework for Climate-Resilient Urban
the Centre of Excellence has been addressing
Development
issues related to urban development and
yyMainstreaming Climate Resilience in Urban Development: Policy
climate resilience in India. IRADe collaborates
Landscape for Urban Climate Resilience
with national institutions, state urban
departments, municipal corporations,urban Disaster Resilience
local bodies, non-government organizations yySustainable and Disaster-Resilient Cities: Case Studies and Capacity
and academia for capacity building, promoting Building of 10 JnNURM Cities
awareness, research and training on specific yyReview of City Disaster Management Plans of Six Cities: Bhubaneswar,
topics in the areas of urban development and Gangtok, Shimla, Vijayawada, Madurai and Thiruvantapuram
climate change. yyThe Time is Now: Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Urban Development
As a Centre of Excellence, IRADe is furthering (2010)
the agenda of integrating various urban yyVulnerability of Coastal Cities on Rivers to Climate Change: Case Study
development efforts and documenting best of Surat
practices and policy level prescriptions that Climate Resilient Smart Cities
could be understood and adopted by state yyPolicy Level Engagement for Developing Climate Resilient Smart Cities
and national level decision makers; local
Urban Infrastructure
administrations to help them link climate
issues with the existing programmes in urban yyPreparation of Master Plan with Detailed Action Plan for Jodhpur under
development. The presentation on project Solar Cities Development Programme
findings, results, methodology, cities covered yyLandfill Waste Management in Okhla, New Delhi
and future strategy for India’s Urban Climate yyStrengthening of Solid Waste Management System in the Industrial
Resilience has been delivered to various forums Park, Cherlapally
and platforms like COP 21, IPCC-SREX, European
Union, Rockefeller foundation (ACCCRN),
Geographical Coverage
UN-Habitat, and (NASI)-Jammu and Kashmir
Project Cities
Chapter, 2015, Jammu. 1. Srinagar 11. Indore 21. Hyderabad
2. Shimla 12. Bhopal 22. Visakhapatnam
IRADe was one of the two institutes 3. Haridwar
4. Dehradun
13. Gangtok
14. Shillong
23. Vijaywada
24. Chennai
who contributed towards the work for 5. Delhi 15. Guwahati 25. Madurai
6. Allahabad 16. Kolkata 26. Bengaluru
India’s Intended Nationally Determined 7. Gorakhpur 17. Bhubaneswar 27. Kochi
8. Jodhpur 18. Puri 28. Thiruvananthapuram
Contributions (INDC) for the COP 21, Paris at 9. Ahmedabad 19. Pune 29. Puducherry
10. Surat 20. Mumbai
the request of the Ministry of Environment &
Project States
Forest (MoEFCC). It examined implications of 1. Jammu & Kashmir 8. Madhya Pradesh 15. Telangana
INDCs through various scenarios. And showed 2. Himachal Pradesh
3. Uttarakhand
9. West Bengal
10. Sikkim
16. Andhra
Pradesh
that it is possible to promise 40% electricity 4. Delhi 11. Meghalaya 17. Karnataka
5. Uttar Pradesh 12. Assam 18. Tamil Nadu
generation capacity from non-fossil sources. 6. Rajasthan 13. Odisha 19. Kerala
7. Gujarat 14. Maharashtra

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Climate Change and Cities

Climate Vulnerability Profiles of 20 Indian Cities

The study developed climate vulnerability profiles for 20 cities covered under the Jawaharlal
Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. It assessed climate induced risks, including various
hazards such as cyclones, storms, floods and droughts, infrastructure needed for resilience and
the importance of Governance and institutional framework at the city level. It helped create a
better understanding of the city level vulnerability by exploring various aspects influencing the
vulnerability of the cities and the nature of actions needed for climate resilient development.
Supported by: Rockefeller Foundation under ACCCRN Project

Policy Brief on Emerging Mechanisms and Responses of Cities to Climate - ACCCRN

A policy brief on urban vulnerability and risk for building climate resilient urban development
in Indian cities was developed by IRADe for Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network
(ACCCRN). It was developed as an urban policy guidance brief for decision makers at national/
state and city government levels on Urban Climate Change Resilience.
IRADe stresses mainstream climate resilience measures as a priority. The well targeted interventions
emerging out of the HIGS framework developed by IRADe can help in building capacities and
better planning for adaptation.
Funded by: Rockefeller Foundation under the Asian Cities Climate Change
Supported by: TARU leading Edge Private Limited

Rapid assessment of vulnerabilities to climate change of Indian cities

Assessment was carried out in 14 key Indian cities based on indicators of vulnerability to climate change. IRADe’s approach
and methodological framework included developing an index to assess the vulnerability to climate change, generating
baseline data pertaining to urban development in terms of socio-economic and infrastructure characteristics. The aim was
to assist in in formulating efficient urban policies and programmes.
Supported by: Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India

Working Paper on HIGS Framework for Climate-Resilient Urban Development

IIED commissioned IRADe to develop a working paper on the Hazards, Infrastructure, Governance,
Socioeconomic variables (HIGS) framework for Rapid Vulnerability Assessment (RVA) of cities, in
order to inculcate the RVA methodology into the public domain.
The working paper helps policy makers, urban planners, city administrators, experts, academicians,
students and aid agencies to appreciate issues regarding urban climate vulnerability and helps
them deal with climate- related impact and formulate adaptation strategies.
Supported by: International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

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 Mainstreaming Climate Resilience in Urban Development; Policy Landscape for Urban
Climate Resilience
IRADe reviewed the approach and work related to ACCCRN, supported by the Rockefeller
Foundation, from policy perspective and supported assessment of vulnerabilities due to disasters
such as floods and droughts and developed climate resilience strategies in three cities, namely
Gorakhpur, Surat and Indore.
IRADe identified the opportunities to orient urban development programmes in order to
promote city- level climate resilience. The lessons from these are brought to national level and
the city governments are also apprised of the relevant opportunities offered by the central
government. IRADe suggested that an integrated policy framework and coordinated decision
making are needed at the national, state and city levels.
Supported by: Rockefeller Foundation under the Asian Cities Climate

Disaster Resilience

Sustainable and Disaster Resilient Cities: Case Studies and Capacity

Building of 10 JnNURM cities
The objective of the study was to assess the state of disaster resilience of 10 selected cities,namely
Dehradun, Srinagar (North India), Shillong, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar (East India), Pune, Ahmedabad,
Bhopal (West India) and Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad (South India). Four regional workshops were
also organized to get feedback from the city officials and stake holders covering the different
regions with active participation of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), parastatal bodies, researchers
and urban planners of the respective cities.
The study revealed that the ULBs face a big challenge to keep pace with the need to increase
infrastructure and service provision for citizens and simultaneously ensure inclusive growth for the urban poor. Through
this study, IRADe has recommended an integrated approach for sustainable and disaster-resilient development in these
cities. This will help the local governments as generally they have limited resources available to address development
issues ranging from health, education, infrastructure and services, and often disaster risks do not emerge as clear priorities.
Supported by: Ministry of Urban Development and Climate Change (MoUD)

Review of City Disaster Management Plans of Six Cities

IRADe reviewed the City Disaster Management Plans (CDMPs) of six cities – Bhubaneswar, Gangtok, Madurai, Shimla,
Trivandrum and Vijayawada to assess the clarity, comprehensiveness, efficiency, appropriateness of climate risk
management measures and dissemination, including integration in the CDMP planning process and each plan document.
IRADe has made specific recommendations and presented strategies to each city administration on addressing the gaps
established during the review process to update the existing CDMP’s. The six cities These six cities have made progress in
disaster risk management while making efforts to prepare city disaster management plan.
Supported by: United Nations Development Programme

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The Time is Now: Sustainable and Climate Resilient Urban Development
(2010)
This report relates the direct impacts of climate change such as extreme temperatures and floods
as well as the indirect impacts of climate change such as changes in global grain markets that
lead to spikes in food prices. With a rapidly growing urban population, the future challenges for
urban administrations will be huge.
Supported by: Department for International Development and The Rockefeller Foundation. Co-
organized with the institute for Social and Environmental Transition

Vulnerability of Coastal Cities on Rivers to Climate Change: Case Study of Surat

VULNERABILITY OF COASTAL CITIES TO CLIMATE
CHANGE: CASE STUDY OF SURAT TO DEVELOP
ADAPTATION FRAMEWORK
The objective of this study is to also assess the hydrological vulnerability of the people and
Integrated Research and Action for Development
The main objective was to develop an integrated analytical framework for floods and disaster
management strategy for urban areas in the background of a specific case study of the city
of Surat. This is to assess the vulnerability of the city and its people to floods and to develop
a procedure to incorporate climate change concern in the existing framework with a decision
support system. It suggested adaptation actions that can make a city resilient to climate change
induced vulnerability.

the public infrastructure of Surat. The elements of infrastructure under consideration include
buildings (schools, hospitals, slums, and industries) within and adjacent to the floodplains, roads,
bridges, etc. An original systems approach is used in the study to gather and examine available data in order to develop an
understanding of the relevant climatic effects and their interactions with infrastructure. For this, a hydrological model of
the river is developed to assess the extent of inundation and water depths under various scenarios, which may arise due to
climate change. An integrated hydraulic modelling system and spatial analysis software have been used in the study. With
information on the likely depth of flooding in different parts of the city, citizens and local administrators can take effective
measures such as avoiding certain areas, building on stilts, providing shelters etc.
Supported by: Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India

Climate Resilient Smart Cities

Policy Engagement for Developing Climate Resilient Smart Cities

IRADe, supported by the Rockefeller foundation has strived to position urban challenges in the larger policy framework
provided by the state and national institutions. IRADe engaged decision makers at local and national level for informing
them on urban climate change resilience and integrating the concepts into wider planning discourses. Climate Resilient
Smart City Reports have been prepared for city of Ahmedabad and Guwahati. The key recommendations of the study are:
yy Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development should be prioritized for Smart cities.
yy To prioritizing the City Climate Resilient Agenda, use of GIS and Remote Sensing for developing hazard assessment
maps, spatial mapping of urban utilities/critical support services and land use planning are essential tool for decision
makers.
yy Rejuvenation and management of water bodies.
Supported by: Rockefeller Foundation

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 Urban Infrastructure
Strengthening of Solid Waste Management System in the Industrial Park, Cherlapally
IRADe studied the viability of various solutions for municipal solid waste management system in the industrial park at
Cherlapally. The study addressed social, economic and environmental concerns, including livelihoods of the involved
workers. The investigation covered: analysis of different waste streams and the state of the existing waste management
system;identification of all the different stakeholders and the consultations with them; and identification of viable technical
options for collection, storage,treatment, disposal, recycling, etc. along with a rough cost estimate for a sustainable waste
management system.
Supported by: Bread for the World

Preparation of Master Plan with Detailed Action Plan for Jodhpur under Solar Cities
Development Programme
The aim of this assignment was to ‘prepare a master plan’ with detailed action plan for various activities for the years 2009–
10, 2010–11 and 2011–12 during the 11th plan period for development of Jodhpur as solar city as per the specifications,
guidelines and terms and conditions of MNRE. The objective of the master plan was to set a goal of minimum 10 per cent
reduction in projected total demand of conventional energy at the end of five years to be achieved through energy saving
from energy efficiency measures and generation from renewable energy installations. The proposed master plan was
accepted by Jodhpur Municipal Corporation.
Supported by: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India

Landfill Waste Management in Okhla, New Delhi

IRADe studied the gases emitted from the landfill site of Okha, New Delhi and analyzed whether the gases can be captured
commercially as the landfill site emits methane. The assessment was done based on the information provided by the
officials at Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Okhla
landfill site and observations made during site visits. Feasibility of the land fill gas (LFG) supply as domestic fuel to the
surrounding areas by using the existing network of the Okhla Sewage Treatment Plant was assessed. It was not found
suitable in current conditions.
Supported by: United States Environmental Protection Agency

Capacity Building & Dissemination

National Level Events

Four Regional Workshops
IRADe organized four regional workshops on “Sustainable and Disaster Resilient Urban Development” in four different cities
covering the different regions with active participation of around 160 people from Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), parastatal
bodies, research institutions and urban planning institutions of the respective cities. The objectives of the workshops were:
yy To build the awareness on city disaster resilient mechanism, dissemination of knowledge and to finalize strategies for
disaster resilient cities.
yy Build capacity of city stakeholders from different regions of India to strengthen the disaster resilient mechanism and
issues of the cities and help them to deal with the related stress and formulate adaptation strategies.

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North India Regional workshop

South India Regional Workshop

East India Workshop

West India Workshop

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 International Events
COP 21, Paris Dialogues in collaboration with The French Embassy
As events leading up to Paris, IRADe and The French Embassy held two dialogues to address significant issues in the
context of COP 21. A seminar was organized on ‘Long Term Sustained Climate Finance for structured mitigation and
adaptation’ on June 29th, 2015. The recommendations largely focused on the importance of mitigation technologies and
adaptation which were raised during the Paris negotiations. The session on‘ Cities Resilience to Climate Change dialogue’
held on October 30th, 2015 where IRADe presented extensive work it has carried out on climate resilience in 20 cities. We
also engaged with prominent experts including Ms. Thara, Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad and Dr. Sudhir Krishna,
Former Secretary, MoUD to share and direct discussions in the context of India’s expectation aligned to the Paris text. These
discussions were largely attributed to sustainable planning for climate resilient infrastructure.

Session on Climate and Disaster Resilient Smart Cities under 6th Conference of Integrated
Disaster Risk Management (IDRiM) Society
The session was organized by IRADe and ACCCRN in partnership with Technology, Information, Forecasting and
Assessment Council (TIFAC), DST, GoI under the 6th Conference of the International Society for Integrated Disaster Risk
Management (IDRiM-TIFAC 2015) on “Disaster Risk Reduction: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Growth”.
IRADe also presented its research paper titled “Mainstreaming Disaster Resilience for Sustainable Development of Cities in
India: Case study of Guwahati and Shillong’’. Key outputs:
yy Awareness and Capacity Building of stakeholders on Disaster Resilient Cities
yy Around 25 experts working in areas of Urban Resilience, Climate Change and Disaster Management, discussed and
highlighted importance of planning Climate Resilient Smart Cities

Smart City Expo World Congress, Barcelona, Spain

Dr. Jyoti Parikh, Executive Director, IRADe was speaker in the session “Solutions to improve urban governance”.
Dr. Parikh presented IRADe’s research paper titled “Indian Cities Towards Smartness: A Case Study of Guwahati
City”. Dr. Parikh recommended that the smart cities must plan a roadmap for achieving Service Level Benchmarks as the
inadequacy of the existing urban infrastructure, the poor management and governance reduce the city’s ability to cope
and respond quickly to extreme events and measuring and monitoring of service delivery by city ULBs. Cities need to
identify priority activities that respond to their urgent needs for adaptation to climate change.

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Event details can be looked at:
http://media.firabcn.es/content/S078016/docs/Report_SCWC2015.pdf

Dr. Parikh (second from right), one of the speaker in the session; Solutions to Improve Urban
Governance in Smart City Expo World Congress, 17-19th December, 2015, Barcelona, Spain

Round Table with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation

IRADe organized a round table event with Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner (AMC) and other city stakeholders at
AMC on 22nd December 2015. IRADe presented the research carried on assessment of climate resilience of Ahmedabad to
Smt. D. Thara, Municipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad and AMC team, wherein recommendations have been given to make
the city climate resilient by highlighting the status of city vulnerability to climate change and various hazards.
Report on Disaster Resilient Urban Development - A Case Study of Ahmedabad and draft paper on Climate Resilient
Smart Cities was handed over to the Municipal Commissioner. Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner welcomed the
suggestions/recommendations provided by IRADe and informed that IRADe’s inputs for disaster and climate resilience
have been incorporated in Smart City Plan of Ahmedabad.

Dr. Jyoti Parikh, Smt. D. Thara, Mr. Rohit Magotra and AMC team Climate Change Report
Ahemdabad City, 22 December, 2015

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 CoE Publications

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 About IRADe

yy IRADe is an independent advanced research institute which aims to conduct research and policy analysis to engage
stakeholders such as government, non-governmental organizations, corporations, academic and financial institutions.
Energy, climate change, urban development, poverty, gender equity, agriculture and food security are some of the
challenges faced in the 21st century. Therefore, IRADe research covers these, as well as policies that affect them. IRADe’s
focus is effective action through multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder research to arrive at implementable solutions
for sustainable development and policy research that accounts for the effective governance of tech no-economic and
socio-cultural issues.
yy IRADe was established under the Society’s Act, in 2002 at New Delhi. It is certified as a Research & Development
Organization by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST)
and provides expertise to other ministries, national and international institutions and partners with other reputed
organizations.
yy In recognition of demonstrated long-term expertise and quality work, the Ministry of Urban Development, Government
of India, designated IRADe as the Centre of Excellence for Urban Development and Climate Change. Since 2008, the
Centre of Excellence has been addressing issues related to urban development and climate resilience in India. IRADe
collaborates with national institutions, state urban departments, municipal corporations, urban local bodies, non-
government organizations and academia for capacity building, promoting awareness, research and training on specific
topics in the areas of urban development and climate change.
yy As a Centre of Excellence, IRADe is furthering the agenda of integrating various urban development efforts and
documenting best practices and policy level prescriptions that could be understood and adopted by state and national
level decision makers; local administrations to help them link climate issues with the existing programmes in urban
development. The presentation on project findings, results, methodology, cities covered and future strategy for India’s
Urban Climate Resilience has been delivered to various forums like IPCC-SREX, European Union and others.
Key Thematic Areas of IRADe are:
1. Sustainable Urban Development 4. Agriculture and Food Security
2. Climate Change and Environment 5. Poverty Alleviation and Gender
3. Energy and Power Systems

Partners and Sponsors

Integrated Research and Action for Development (IRADe)

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Tel.: 91 (11) 2667 6180, 2667 6181, 2668 2226
Web: www.irade.org
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