Indore, Gwalior among most vulnerable as heat-drought combos batter smart cities: Study

Bhopal: A stark new study has sounded the alarm on surging “compound dry-hot events” (CDHEs) battering India’s ‘Smart Cities’, including Indore, Gwalior, Raipur and Lucknow, exposing urban hubs to crippling water shortages, scorching heat, and crumbling resilience in the absence of adequate measures.

Researchers from IISER Bhopal and MANIT Bhopal pored over 60 years of data (1958-2023) across 100 Smart Cities, uncovering a grim trend: Northern India, the Himalayas, and Western India face the fiercest climate onslaught. The study was recently published in international journal Urban Climate.

Cities like Indore, Gwalior, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Ranchi, Warangal, Vishakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kota, Jammu, Patna, Ludhiana, Rajkot and Raipur are among the top vulnerability charts, hammered by relentless heat-drought combos and shaky adaptive capacities.

The big reveal? These punishing events—once rare, striking every few years—now crash in almost every season. Urban water systems, public health, and infrastructure get no breather, slashing recovery windows to near zero.

“Climate extremes are no longer isolated events. Many Indian cities endure repeated dry-hot stress in short bursts, gutting urban sustainability and resilience,” lead researcher IISER’s Prof. Somil Swarnkar told TOI. Prof Vikas Punia and PhD student IISER Bhopal Vaishnavi Sahu were the part of the study along with Prof Swarnkar.

The team crafted a “Cumulative Vulnerability Index,” blending climate hazards with socio-economic metrics: human capital, environmental health, economic muscle, and quality of life. Standouts like robust education and green spaces emerged as resilience superpowers. Cities boasting strong schools, clean air, and solid infrastructure shrug off shocks better.

Conversely, spots plagued by shoddy planning, scant greenery, pollution, and weak economies teeter on the brink. “Human capital and environmental quality drive urban toughness,” the study notes.

Prof. Swarnkar urged action: “Boost environmental quality, urban green belts, education, and smart planning to slash future risks.”

The findings jolted India’s Smart Cities Mission and sustainable development push, aligning with UN goals SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Blanket national fixes won’t cut it—city-tailored strategies are key, factoring in diverse terrains from plains to peaks.

Recommendations pack heat mitigation, water savvy, greening drives, and climate-proof builds into urban blueprints. Integrate risk checks into governance, the researchers implore, to steel cities against wilder weather ahead.

“India’s urban tomorrow hinges on mastering compound extremes. Resilient planning isn’t optional—it’s survival,” Prof. Swarnkar warned.