Mumbai and Cape Town: Pioneering Climate Resilience in Coastal Cities

Mumbai is highly vulnerable to rising sea levels, severe rainfall, and flooding. The city is routinely ranked among the world's most at-risk urban areas due to climate impacts. To address these vulnerabilities, Mumbai has set a goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, which is 20 years ahead of India's national target. This includes reducing emissions by 30% by 2030 and 44% by 2040, based on a 2019 baseline.

To achieve these ambitious goals, Mumbai launched the Mumbai Climate Action Plan in 2022. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has allocated ₹31,775 crore for capital expenditure in FY25, with about a third of the funds earmarked for climate-relevant activities. Approximately 95% of the budget will be directed towards managing flooding and water resources. The remaining funds will be used for climate-friendly initiatives such as installing LED streetlights, planting trees to increase green cover, and installing rooftop solar solutions on city-owned buildings. Mumbai has also taken steps to expand protected mangrove areas, plant more trees, and invest in public transport electrification.

Now, consider Cape Town, a South African coastal city equally vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather events. Cape Town faces a complex set of challenges, including water scarcity, inadequate infrastructure, social equity, and overall climate resilience. The city has adopted a two-pronged approach: aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050 and outlining a strategy for large-scale adaptation measures. This includes a new water strategy focused on diversifying water sources through desalination, groundwater extraction, and water recycling.

Cape Town is leveraging various public and private funding sources to finance its climate resilience plan. These include green funding instruments such as the city's 2017 green bond and the C40 Cities Finance Facility (CFF). The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has also provided an 18-year, $150 million loan for infrastructure upgrades and replacements, including electrical and transport infrastructure, and water, sanitation, and wastewater management.

Mumbai and Cape Town demonstrate that developing cities can take concrete steps towards climate resilience. However, how can other cities follow their lead?

Awareness Cities need to engage in the national dialogue on climate change and integrate climate considerations into city planning and budgeting. They should communicate the potential impacts of extreme weather events to citizens and emphasize the urgency of taking appropriate action.

Action Plan Cities should assess their climate footprints and vulnerabilities, and develop action plans to address their mitigation and adaptation needs. These plans should focus on physical infrastructure, water and electricity, transportation, green spaces, and community needs. Action plans should be aligned with the city's development plan and be inclusive, integrating input from citizens, government, businesses, and academia. They should also identify a pipeline of projects for implementation.

Align with National Action National governments should include city representatives when developing national, sectoral, and thematic climate strategies. They should provide funding and incentives for climate action, especially to smaller and poorer cities.

Build Capacity Cities should establish a climate change cell or department and assign climate change responsibilities within their governance structures. They can seek support from national governments for knowledge and resources and benefit from best practices shared by local and global peers.

Allocate Resources Along with building capacity, cities need to allocate human and financial resources for climate action plans. This can be challenging, but national governments can support with grants and devolved funds. Cities can also borrow domestically from banks and development finance institutions (DFIs), issue bonds, turn to commercial lenders and philanthropies, or multilateral development banks and climate funds. Internal sources like municipal fees and fares, and savings from design and efficiency measures, can supplement funding sources.

Policy and Implementation Coherence The final step, and perhaps the most challenging, is ensuring long-term commitment. This requires substantial coordination within city agencies and with the national government. Implementation must be tracked and reported regularly.

Two critical inputs for addressing the climate resilience challenge are technical expertise and financing. Both are significant challenges, and cities need to embark on this journey sooner rather than later to secure a climate-resilient future for their citizens.