Mumbai Climate Action Plan, a state-government initiative, was established in 2021 to tackle and solve the increasing challenges of climate change. It was officially launched in March 2022. This Planning process was unveiled by the former Environment Minister of Maharashtra, Aaditya Thackeray in September 2021 after Mumbai joined the C40 Cities Network in December 2020. This climate action plan is being drafted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (MCGM) in assistance with World Resources Institute (WRI), a knowledge partner. [1] This plan will serve as a 30-year roadmap and systematic framework to guide the city, Mumbai, and look climate resilience with mitigation and adaptation strategies through low-carbon, resilient, and inclusive development pathways. Being India's first climate action plan, it is aiming to set net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and green targets for 2050, twenty years before the target set by the Central Government of India at the Glasgow COP summit in 2021. [2] [3] The six key action areas and strategies laid out in this plan are: Sustainable Waste Management, Urban greening & biodiversity, Urban flooding & water resource management, Energy & buildings, Air quality and Sustainable Mobility. [4] [1]
The process of finalizing this plan was ready by November 2021 before the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). [5]
On 13 March 2022, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Uddhav Thackeray, launched and released the Mumbai Climate Action Plan virtually at the launch event in which the Environment Minister, Aditya Thackeray, Minister Sanjay Bansode, Mayor of Mumbai Kishori Pednekar, Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal were among those present. The plan was co-authored by Lubaina Rangawala from WRI India, C40 Cities and Saurabh Punamiya from the Government of Maharashtra [6] [7]
As per a research carried out by the WRI on Mumbai's vulnerability assessment, the metropolitan city will face two major climate challenges—a rise in temperature and extreme rain events which can result in massive flooding. [4] Mumbai being one of the world's most high risk cities to climate change, as it is a densely populated city with minimal green cover and open spaces is becoming warmer. A study noted that between 1980 and 2018, Mumbai lost 40% of green cover, 81% of open land, and estimated 30% of water bodies, while on the contrary a 66% rise has been observed in built-up areas where development have been done. [8]
Also, due to rising sea levels and Mumbai surrounded by the sea from three sides, and prone to frequent cyclonic events and storms, South Mumbai is on the verge of submerging by 2050 as warned by experts. [9] [10]
A solid waste management plan is being developed to decentralize garbage at ward level. Currently there are three dumpsites in Mumbai—in Deonar, Mulund and Kanjurmarg. A study shows that estimated, Mumbai alone generates one-third of Maharashtra's total waste. [11] As open dumpsites pose various hazards such as release of greenhouse gases, accidental hazard caused by fire, air and water contamination, pest and rodent issues etc. [12] Therefore this centralized method has to be gone away with and decentralized methods are needful for future waste generation in which waste generation can be minimized and value can be created out of waste in the form of composting, recycling, energy recovery to meet the city's demand for sustainable waste management. This plan will come up with a strategy to decentralize Mumbai's waste management system with unit-level processing of organic waste to create valuable compost, appointing committed ward-level waste officers and coordination of relevant stakeholders with the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai's (MCGM) Waste management department and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). [13] The BMC has also mandated wet waste process and solid waste process mandatory to the bulk generators to provide treatment at source if it has area greater than 5,000 sq. m. [14]
A study presented that low income areas in Mumbai are found to be with less green cover. Areas like Dongri, Bhuleshwar which comes in Ward B and C, are warmer than other areas. [15] [16] The Mumbai Climate Action Plan will emphasize the need to increase the green cover and biodiversity of the city in a planned and inclusive manner. The four plans suggested are Heat resilience and carbon sequestration, Flood mitigation, Access to open spaces, Improved Biodiversity. [13]
The MCAP will focus on how to prevent or reduce flooding and waterlogging while also dealing with the lack of safe and affordable drinking water. Mumbai is highly prone to coastal risks due to storms, cyclones and also faces extreme rainfall during monsoons, leading to frequent flooding in low-lying areas. The climate action plan is aiming at building flood-resilient infrastructure in the city by improving early warning systems, and drainage lines. It also promotes on framing policies that will promote the reuse of water through measures like increased percolation and rainwater harvesting. [17] [18]
The key priorities include incorporating 50% Renewables in Mumbai's electricity generation mix, assessing the potential for rooftop solar on buildings and promoting it, 100% energy efficient street and public lightings and energy-efficient or low-carbon technology for utility energy consumption like WTPs, STPs etc. An additional focus is on prioritizing energy-efficient materials for building construction, transition to energy efficient building lightings and cooling equipment, to use clean fuel in cooking and promoting electric stove, to promote thermal comfort design and climate resilient affordable housing.
As key priority action areas for the next 10–20 years for efficient air quality management in Mumbai, emphasis has been laid to shift towards cleaner fuels, fuel efficiency and adoption of electric vehicles to reduce vehicular and industrial emissions, indoor air pollution and emissions from bakeries and crematoriums. Strict regulation and appropriate enforcement mechanism of policies and rules have also been prioritized to minimize the indiscriminate burning of waste, burning at landfill sites and release of suspension dust due to construction and demolition activities.
Building upon Mumbai's extensive public transport network, multimodal integration and equitable access and affordability for women, children and low income groups were identified are key priorities. With Mumbai being the second most congested city in the world, parking management and safer intersections need to be prioritized along with inclusive pedestrian and cycling infrastructure for reduced congestion, commuter safety and better air quality. With less than 1% electric vehicles in the mix, incentives and policies to shift towards 100% zero emission vehicles by 2050 for passenger and freight modes is a key priority for reducing GHG emissions as well as improving air quality.
After introducing the plan, thousands of hectares of mangroves under protected status are being brought to Mumbai, thousands more trees are being planted, and the government continues to introduce nature-based solutions to help tackle air pollution, reduce landslides, and cool down the city in the face of extreme heat. [19]
Sustainable transport refers to ways of transportation that are sustainable in terms of their social and environmental impacts. Components for evaluating sustainability include the particular vehicles used for road, water or air transport; the source of energy; and the infrastructure used to accommodate the transport. Transport operations and logistics as well as transit-oriented development are also involved in evaluation. Transportation sustainability is largely being measured by transportation system effectiveness and efficiency as well as the environmental and climate impacts of the system. Transport systems have significant impacts on the environment, accounting for between 20% and 25% of world energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The majority of the emissions, almost 97%, came from direct burning of fossil fuels. In 2019, about 95% of the fuel came from fossil sources. The main source of greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union is transportation. In 2019 it contributes to about 31% of global emissions and 24% of emissions in the EU. In addition, up to the COVID-19 pandemic, emissions have only increased in this one sector. Greenhouse gas emissions from transport are increasing at a faster rate than any other energy using sector. Road transport is also a major contributor to local air pollution and smog.
Green building refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planning to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This requires close cooperation of the contractor, the architects, the engineers, and the client at all project stages. The Green Building practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Green building also refers to saving resources to the maximum extent, including energy saving, land saving, water saving, material saving, etc., during the whole life cycle of the building, protecting the environment and reducing pollution, providing people with healthy, comfortable and efficient use of space, and being in harmony with nature. Buildings that live in harmony; green building technology focuses on low consumption, high efficiency, economy, environmental protection, integration and optimization.’
Uddhav Bal Thackeray is an Indian politician who served as the 19th Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 2019 to 2022 and the Leader of the House, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 2019 to 2022. He is a member of Maharashtra Legislative Council since 2020, the president of Maha Vikas Aghadi since 2019 and the president of Shiv Sena since 2022. He was also the leader (pramukh) of Shiv Sena from 2013 to 2022, working President from 2003 to 2013 and the editor-in-chief of Saamana from 2006 to 2019.
A sustainable city, eco-city, or green city is a city designed with consideration for social, economic, environmental impact, and resilient habitat for existing populations, without compromising the ability of future generations to experience the same. The UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 defines sustainable cities as those that are dedicated to achieving green sustainability, social sustainability and economic sustainability. They are committed to doing so by enabling opportunities for all through a design focused on inclusivity as well as maintaining a sustainable economic growth. The focus will also includes minimizing required inputs of energy, water, and food, and drastically reducing waste, output of heat, air pollution – CO2, methane, and water pollution. Richard Register, a visual artist, first coined the term ecocity in his 1987 book Ecocity Berkeley: Building Cities for a Healthy Future, where he offers innovative city planning solutions that would work anywhere. Other leading figures who envisioned sustainable cities are architect Paul F Downton, who later founded the company Ecopolis Pty Ltd, as well as authors Timothy Beatley and Steffen Lehmann, who have written extensively on the subject. The field of industrial ecology is sometimes used in planning these cities.
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