22-07-2025
Indian cities at climate crossroads, urgent action needed, says World Bank
New Delhi: India must urgently scale up investments in climate-resilient urban development to protect its cities from mounting climate risks and unlock long-term economic growth, the World Bank has warned.
With the country's urban population set to nearly double, from 480 million in 2020 to 951 million by 2050, Indian cities stand at a pivotal moment, the report titled Towards Resilient and Prosperous Cities in India said on Tuesday, calling for forward-looking, climate-smart urban planning.
"With a doubling of the urban population expected by 2050, from 480 million in 2020 to 951 million, more than half of urban growth, in terms of new infrastructure, buildings and urban services, is still to come," the report noted.
"This gives Indian cities a huge opportunity to plan for resilient urban development and avoid large future damages and losses from climate and disaster impacts," it added.
The report is based on analytical work carried out between September 2022 and May 2025, and is supported by the World Bank Group and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, including its City Resilience Program.
Highlighting the high cost of retrofitting urban infrastructure, the Bank emphasized the need for cities to strengthen defences against climate shocks but also embed resilience into future growth.
Such a shift, it said, is essential to improve quality of life and ensure sustained economic momentum.
The report warned of severe consequences if timely action is not taken. Cities could face escalating losses from more frequent and intense climate events such as floods, extreme heat, and water scarcity.
"It is projected that urban pluvial or stormwater flooding-related losses, which currently cost between 0.5 and 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product annually, will double under a global high-emission scenario," the report said.
"Urban Heat Island effect compounds the impact of increasingly frequent and severe heat waves. If nothing changes, it is projected that heat-related deaths in Indian cities will double by 2050," it added.
Indian cities, the report noted, are particularly exposed due to the dense concentration of people and assets, compounded by weak planning systems that are struggling to keep pace with urbanization and rising demand for services.
"Cities also face higher impacts, compared to rural areas, from climate impacts and disaster shocks as they are highly interconnected systems; when key infrastructure assets break down, it can cause a chain reaction and cities can become paralyzed or experience cascading infrastructure failure," it said.
"For example, flooding can cause road closures and disrupt traffic flow, affect electricity lines, and lead to damage and economic losses," the report added.
The World Bank called for targeted investment and immediate action to build resilient infrastructure, improve service delivery, and ensure cities remain engines of growth and innovation in the face of accelerating climate threats.
Meanwhile, the report highlighted that while climate change effects are likely to prove ever more challenging, timely actions can help avert large potential impacts.
"Given rapid urbanization, time is limited to undertake the necessary planning and to scale up investment in resilient urban development, which is essential not only to make cities more efficient and livable, but also to reduce future climate and disaster impacts," it said.
"Better managed and resilient urban development has the potential to further improve access to urban amenities such as parks and recreational areas," it added.
