INDIAN CITIES, Glacial Lakes, 16th Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

(General Studies III – Economy Section – Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.)

• India’s cities are the engines of economic growth, contributing nearly 63% of the national GDP (NITI Aayog, 2021) and housing 40% of the population (World Bank).
• However, rapid urbanization driven by migration, economic transformation, and rising aspirations has also made cities the epicenters of inequality, climate vulnerabilities, and inadequate infrastructure.

Challenges Faced by Indian Cities –

1. Inadequate Urban Infrastructure: 30% of urban households lack access to piped water (NSSO, 2021). Poor public transport systems lead to congestion, with 18 of the 20 most congested cities globally located in India (TomTom Traffic Index, 2023).
2. Housing and Slums: 40% of urban residents live in slums, lacking access to adequate sanitation and housing. Example: Dharavi in Mumbai remains one of Asia’s largest slums despite numerous redevelopment plans.
3. Climate Change and Pollution: Urban areas contribute 75% of India’s CO2 emissions (CSE, 2022). Example: Delhi NCR faces severe air quality issues, with AQI frequently exceeding 300, impacting health and productivity.
4. Rising Inequality: Exclusive urban development projects cater to the wealthy, leaving millions in informal housing or without basic amenities. Gini Coefficient data highlights increasing inequality in cities like Mumbai and Delhi.
5. Governance Deficits: Despite the 74th Constitutional Amendment, less than 3 of the 18 listed functions have been fully devolved to urban local bodies. Example: Cities like Bengaluru face overlapping jurisdictions between municipal corporations and parastatals.
6. Migration and Overcrowding: High rural-to-urban migration leads to overcrowded cities, straining resources. Example: Chennai and Hyderabad have seen population growth outpacing infrastructure development.
7. Urban Flooding and Heat Islands: Poor drainage and encroachments worsen flooding in cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai. Urban heat islands exacerbate health risks, with temperatures in cities like Ahmedabad rising by 2-4°C compared to surrounding areas.

Way Forward: Vision 2047 by NITI Aayog –

1. Integrated Urban Planning: Adopt GIS-based planning tools for smarter land-use management and sustainable urban expansion.
2. Climate-Resilient Cities: Expand urban green cover by 30% by 2030 and implement rooftop solar initiatives under the PM-KUSUM Scheme.
3. Strengthening Urban Governance: Fully implement the 12th Schedule, ensuring elected ULBs control urban planning, water supply, and waste management. Increase fiscal transfers to 2% of GDP for urban development.
4. Affordable Housing and Livelihoods: Scale up PMAY to cover 100% of urban homeless by 2030 and develop skills for urban migrants through Skill India Mission.
5. Public Transport and Mobility: Expand metro networks to all Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities and focus on EV adoption to reduce urban emissions by 40% by 2030.

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has launched the “First in the World Challenge,” an initiative to encourage Indian scientists to develop groundbreaking solutions for complex health problems.
• Inspired by Chandrayan 3 landing on the south pole of the moon, making India the first country to do so.
• ICMR aims to foster novel ideas that could set global benchmarks.
• The initiative seeks innovative, out-of-the-box proposals.
• It is to create unprecedented health technologies, including vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and medical interventions.
• Proposals should aim for substantial health impact and “first of its kind” advancements, excluding projects that focus on incremental knowledge or process innovation.
• Individual researchers or collaborative teams across institutes can submit proposals.
• A selection committee will evaluate submissions based on their potential for transformative impact on global health.

Dig Deeper: Read about ICMR, one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world.

• Glacial lakes are formed by retreating glaciers, which leave behind depressions filled with meltwater, often dammed by moraine, a mixture of rock debris from glacial erosion.
• These lakes, acting as natural water buffers, pose challenges for downstream communities and are vulnerable to climate-induced changes.
• Glaciers grind underlying rock, creating moraine (rock debris of various sizes).
• The blue colour of glacial lakes is due to light scattering by fine rock particles suspended in the water.
• As glaciers retreat, moraine-dammed lakes expand, increasing the risk of dam breaches.
• South Lhonak Lake in Sikkim has expanded rapidly due to warming, from 17 hectares in 1977 to 167 hectares in 2023.
• The lake’s rapid expansion and subsequent heavy rains caused a moraine dam breach, flooding the Teesta River and collapsing the Teesta III dam.

Dig Deeper:  Read about the Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the context of Disaster Management.

• The 16th edition of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia.
• It aimed to advance global biodiversity targets set under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) of 2022.
• Implementation mechanisms and funding needs remained unresolved beyond the scheduled deadline.
• The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework set 23 targets, including the “30-by-30 agreement” to protect 30% of global land and water by 2030.
• Funding requirements are estimated at $200 billion annually, with a goal of $30 billion from international financing.

• India presented an updated biodiversity plan.
• India called for international financial support, citing the need for external funding to meet KMGBF’s target 19 and support the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).
• India highlighted initiatives like the International Big Cat Alliance for big cat conservation and an increase in Ramsar sites (wetlands of international importance) from 26 to 85 since 2014, with plans to reach 100.

Dig Deeper: Read about the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).

• The Tamil Nadu government recently declared heatwaves a state-specific disaster, allowing relief measures and support for those affected by extreme heat.
• This move comes as global temperatures reach record highs.
• The World Meteorological Organization reported 2023 as the hottest year, with frequent heatwaves linked to climate change.
• Studies highlight increased mortality from heatwaves in India, with severe past events in 1998, 2003 and 2010.
• A heatwave is prolonged extreme heat, defined by regional criteria. 40°C+ in plains and 30°C+ in hilly regions per the India Meteorological Department.
• Vulnerable populations include children, seniors, pregnant women, and outdoor workers, with heat-related conditions ranging from heat exhaustion to severe health impacts like renal, cardiovascular, and pulmonary diseases.

Dig Deeper: Read about the impact of heatwaves on food security.