
Mangaluru can cut climate damage with ₹172 crore investment: CSTEP report
The report, titled Urban Greenprints: A Nature-based Solutions Feasibility Framework for Urban Coastal Regions, calls for the integration of nature-based solutions (NbS) into the urban planning of select wards in Mangaluru.
CSTEP recommends embedding NbS within planning and budgeting processes instead of treating them as standalone initiatives. The study identifies Panambur, Port, Hoige Bazaar, and Bengre as suitable wards for interventions such as rooftop greening, permeable pavements, and water body restoration.
The report also notes that initiatives like the Coastal Bioshield Project at Tannirbhavi and ongoing lake rejuvenation efforts have shown preliminary success but remain limited by top-down governance and lack of community participation.
The document advocates for spatial mapping, inclusive governance, and master planning focused on vulnerable zones like Surathkal and Ullal. It proposes that Mangaluru's approach could serve as a model for other coastal cities facing climate stress.
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Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Indian Express
Nature-based solutions can help Kolkata tackle urban flooding
Written by Soumit Pandey, Ranjana Ray Chaudhuri and Sukanya Das As Kolkata braces for another monsoon, scenes of waterlogged streets and overwhelmed drainage systems return with grim familiarity. Urban flooding is now an annual ordeal, disrupting lives, damaging infrastructure, and straining public health systems. Natural buffers, like canals, wetlands, and lakes, that once helped manage excess rainwater are now clogged, concretised, or encroached. Amid growing climate threats, Kolkata must consider a sustainable alternative: Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). NBSs are interventions that work with natural systems, like restoring wetlands, planting native vegetation, or reviving water bodies to mitigate environmental hazards. Unlike conventional grey infrastructure (concrete embankments, pumps, stormwater tunnels), NBSs provide multiple benefits. They absorb rainwater, recharge groundwater, improve biodiversity, and offer green public spaces. Critically, they are cost-effective and inclusive, especially when communities are involved in their design and upkeep. Our recent study from the TERI School of Advanced Studies assessed the socio-economic viability of NBSs in two contrasting areas: Maheshtala and Rabindra Sarobar Lake. Using household surveys and ex-ante cost-benefit analysis (CBA), we explored public awareness, perceived benefits, and the long-term financial feasibility of NBS interventions. In Maheshtala, a flood-prone municipality with ten irrigation canals connected to the Hooghly River, we proposed a localised version of the Dutch 'Room for River' model. Restoration activities such as canal dredging, waste removal, and rainwater harvesting aim to reduce waterlogging and improve water quality. More than 70 per cent of surveyed households expressed willingness to pay higher municipal taxes for these interventions. The project showed a positive net present value (NPV) of Rs 22.4 million at a 2 per cent social discount rate, reflecting a long-term outlook that values sustainability and resilience. At Rabindra Sarobar, a prominent urban lake in southern Kolkata, we proposed ecological restoration including de-siltation, tree planting, de-concretisation, and local rainwater harvesting. While better maintained, the lake faces issues like declining water levels and pollution. About 60 per cent of respondents, primarily educated visitors, were willing to voluntarily contribute to conservation efforts. The intervention had a positive NPV of Rs 3.3 million at a 19 per cent social discount rate, indicating strong short-term returns, likely due to the lake's visibility and recreational value. Despite differences, both sites showed strong public recognition of NBSs as effective flood solutions. In Maheshtala, daily struggles with flooding drove support; around Rabindra Sarobar, the emphasis was on ecological preservation. The common thread was public willingness to support sustainable infrastructure. However, implementing NBS citywide comes with challenges. Land acquisition, bureaucratic coordination, and public scepticism can delay progress. Our study also found that perceived risks, such as displacement, significantly reduced willingness to pay. Transparent planning and early community involvement are, therefore, essential. The case for NBSs in Kolkata is not just ecological; it's economic and strategic. Climate change is intensifying extreme rainfall, exposing the limitations of outdated grey infrastructure. NBSs can bridge this gap. By integrating them into urban planning through tax incentives, zoning reforms, and civil society partnerships, Kolkata can become more resilient and livable. Kolkata is still green; we need to preserve the green corridors to enhance the city's resilience. As climate risks escalate, the question is no longer whether to act, but how. The answer lies in nature. By investing in NBSs today, we can create a safer, greener Kolkata, one that is prepared not just for the next monsoon, but for the future. Pandey is a Junior Research Associate at Ashoka Centre for a People-Centric Energy Transition (ACPET). Ray Chaudhuri is Associate Professor & Head, Department of Regional Water Studies and Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, TERI School of Advanced Studies, New Delhi. Das is Professor, Department of Policy and Management Studies, and Dean (Research & Partnerships), Teri School of Advanced Studies, New Delhi


Hans India
19-05-2025
- Hans India
Mangaluru can cut climate damage with ₹172 crore investment: CSTEP report
Mangaluru: A new report by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) has outlined that with an investment of ₹172.97 crore, Mangaluru could avoid ₹11.62 crore in annual damages linked to climate-related risks, including flooding and coastal erosion. The report, titled Urban Greenprints: A Nature-based Solutions Feasibility Framework for Urban Coastal Regions, calls for the integration of nature-based solutions (NbS) into the urban planning of select wards in Mangaluru. CSTEP recommends embedding NbS within planning and budgeting processes instead of treating them as standalone initiatives. The study identifies Panambur, Port, Hoige Bazaar, and Bengre as suitable wards for interventions such as rooftop greening, permeable pavements, and water body restoration. The report also notes that initiatives like the Coastal Bioshield Project at Tannirbhavi and ongoing lake rejuvenation efforts have shown preliminary success but remain limited by top-down governance and lack of community participation. The document advocates for spatial mapping, inclusive governance, and master planning focused on vulnerable zones like Surathkal and Ullal. It proposes that Mangaluru's approach could serve as a model for other coastal cities facing climate stress.
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Business Standard
22-04-2025
- Business Standard
Nature-based solutions key to climate resilience in coastal cities: Report
Report urges shift in planning, calls nature-based solutions key for climate resilience in Indian coastal cities, as per "Urban Greenprints" by Bengaluru-based think tank Press Trust of India New Delhi The uptake of permeable pavements could enhance stormwater drainage capacity, reducing surface runoff and mitigate flood risks, according to a new report by the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP). The report titled "Urban Greenprints: A Nature-based Solutions Feasibility Framework for Urban Coastal Regions" by the Bengaluru-based think-tank has called for a paradigm shift in how India's coastal cities approach urban planning and climate resilience. Focusing on Chennai and Mangaluru in Karnataka, the report makes a compelling case for integrating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in urban planning to address the escalating challenges of flooding, environmental degradation, and climate-induced vulnerabilities. "Both cities have witnessed a sharp decline in green cover and increased encroachments on natural water bodies. These changes, compounded by extreme weather events, have exposed the limitations of conventional grey infrastructure such as stormwater drains and concrete embankments. "There is urgent need to embrace NbS such as wetland restoration, rooftop greening and permeable pavements -- as part of a more sustainable and resilient urban strategy," the report said. Drawing on in-depth assessments of 23 wards in Chennai and four wards in Mangaluru, the study evaluated the feasibility and impact of NbS interventions. Among the main findings is the significant potential for rooftop greening, which could expand NbS-covered areas by 76 per cent in Chennai and 80 per cent in Mangaluru within the selected study regions. "In both cities, the uptake of permeable pavements could enhance stormwater drainage capacity by 5 per cent, reducing surface runoff and mitigating flood risks. Optimising the existing waterbodies for flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, and biodiversity emerged as a particularly critical strategy," it said. The report also featured several NbS case studies in the study regions that highlighted the ecological and functional importance of natural systems. "However, encroachment and degradation of these ecosystems have diminished their climate adaptation potential, worsening urban vulnerability. Revitalising such natural assets is essential not only for climate resilience but also for promoting co-benefits, such as eco-tourism, sustainable fishing and other livelihood opportunities," it said. Lakshmi Menon, senior analyst in the adaptation and risk analysis group at CSTEP, noted that in cities like Chennai and Mangaluru, even modest ward-level investments in green infrastructure can yield substantial long-term savings and ecological benefits. "As climate risks intensify, integrating nature-based solutions into urban planning is not just desirable -- it is essential for building resilient, adaptive and sustainable cities," Menon said. The report recommended that policymakers in the study regions embed NbS within their core climate resilience strategies. "This includes updating urban planning regulations to accommodate nature-based infrastructure, directing public funds toward NbS projects, and prioritising interventions in areas that are most vulnerable to climate stress. "It also urges local governments to take the lead in piloting scalable NbS initiatives, leveraging data and technology for better decision-making, and fostering collaborations across sectors and stakeholders," the report said.