Assessing adaptation in urban cities towards climate change
Student name: Ms Pallavi Sharma
Guide: Dr Arun Kansal
Year of completion: 2011
Host Organisation: Environment and Policy Research Centre, Freie Universitat, Berlin
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Dr Kirsten Jörgensen
Abstract: Cities around the world occupy around 0.5 % of land area, but are home to more than 50% of the population. Contributing to more than 80% of GDP (McKinsey study, 2011), hence need prime attention. In context of the changing climate where in we are at a juncture where we cannot sit back and wait for our mitigation efforts to bear fruit, adaptation is becoming necessary. We have to prepare ourselves for the impacts that our environment is exhibiting that are projected to rise in the coming years as shown in IPCC reports. This study endeavours to find out how prepared are the cities of Delhi and Berlin. The study analyzes the cities by the efforts made to find out the climate change impacts, estimate vulnerability and their adaptive capacity in addition to finding and comparing their plans for adaptation.. The analysis in this study is focussed on the following critical sectors water, health and infrastructure.
Key words: impacts, water, health, infrastructure
