Climate change poses significant challenges to the countries across the globe and India is no exception. Trends of brutal heat waves, sweltering summers and warm winters in India, contribute to the ‘new normal.’
Adjustments are no longer fruitful and adapting is no longer an option. It has become a necessity. Specifically in warm-humid regions of India, which accounts for around 50 percent of India that lives in the warm-humid climate zone.
According to the IMD’s Climate Vulnerability and Hazard Atlas 2021, India suffered more than 130 days annually of devastating heatwave days on average between 1969 and 2021.
Urban areas and metropolitan cities are acting like the center of this hot mess. In addition, annually increasing population influx from rural areas have resulted in city dwellers becoming climate-vulnerable population.
Therefore, climate-resilient infrastructure is now imperative in the country to mitigate the surging risks of climate – change.
What is climate-resilient infrastructure?
At this juncture, climate resilience ensures less damage to life and livelihoods, helps in reducing direct harm from weather conditions and plays a pivotal role in meeting the mitigation targets of the Paris Agreement.
Climate resilient infrastructure refers to the development and implementation of robust and sustainable systems that can withstand the impacts of climate change, ensuring long-term economic growth and social well-being.
Furthermore, resilience has to be the context-specific nature of climate adaptation, for instance in the second decade of the 21st century when some cities in India like Hyderabad, Delhi and Prayagraj were struggling with brutal heat waves, other coastal regions were battling with cyclones.
These changes are broadly grouped into two categories:
- Structural adaptation measures: include changing the composition of road surface, building seawalls and using ecosystem-based approaches.
- Non-structural adaptation measures: includes management measures like investing in early warning systems and monitoring of existing assets and infrastructure.
Its aims at minimizing the risks associated with extreme weather events. It takes into account the potential impacts of climate change, such as increased flooding, storms or heatwaves and incorporates adaptive measures.
Enabling economic development by reducing disruptions caused by climate – related disasters. In addition, ensuring the continuity of critical services, such as transportation, energy supplies etc., by safeguarding business operations and fostering sustainable growth.
By opting for CRI governments tend to protect the lives and livelihoods of their citizens. As infrastructure designed to withstand climate impact eliminates the damage to vulnerable communities.
Climate Resilience Buildings in India
Historically, climate resilience in India can be seen in varied construction practices and architectural styles. Ranging from optimum sizes of windows to different sizes of courtyards, depending upon the climatic and demographic aspects of the region.
Nevertheless, the custom of multi-story buildings and flats, becoming obsolete with concrete and brick standards. Vis-à-vis, got done away with the mud-brick walls with moisture absorbing tendencies, that were accustomed to the humid climate.
Furthermore, different researches have postulated that in recent decades architectural styles were governed by aesthetics. This lack of awareness among designers as well as users has become an obstacle in building climate–resilient infrastructure.
It was only recently that designers and customers are becoming aware of climate responsiveness. Institutional policies
Institutional Policies
Centre has developed various guidelines demonstrating the resilient and efficient designs:
- ‘Design guidelines for energy efficient multi-story residential building (warm and humid climates)’ released by the Bureau of Energy-Efficiency in 2016.
- ECO-NIWAS Samhita (ENS) Part 1, published by the Ministry of Power in 2018, shed light on minimum ‘building envelope design standards’ to enhance thermal- comforts in residential buildings varying according to different climate zones.
Climate-responsive architecture is crucial for maintaining indoor environment standards and facilitates us to adopt traditional materials for building such as laterite blocks, hollow clay blocks etc.
Compliance with these along with decentralized and collaborative execution of policies amongst various factions of governmental organization can prove to help build a climate-resilient society.
Therefore, it is a vital component of India’s sustainable development strategy. By investing in resilient systems and practices, the country can reduce the adverse consequences of climate change, protect its citizens and socio-economic fabric.
However, a single-handed approach of government or the civil societies won’t fetch the desired result. An interdependent approach where-in the government, private sector and civil societies together foster making infrastructure resilient and sustainable.