WRI India Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

05/06/2025

This , meet India’s , who are creating solutions that can help build sustainable and equitable food and land use systems for people, nature and climate.

🎥 Watch their inspiring stories: https://shorturl.at/POJq7

22/01/2025

🎙 Podcast | ️ One Week to Go for the first episode of 2025

With our first episode of the year on the horizon, we're inviting you to solve a little mystery: guess our next guest!

🔍 Hint 1 : This speaker is a popular author with a penchant for seamlessly weaving the past into the present.
🔍 Hint 2 : We'll be putting out more clues as we gear up for this exciting episode, so here's another - can you identify the well-planned literary city from its description below? 🏙️

"Inside the fort walls, the city was divided into blocks by roads laid out in a neat grid pattern. It had specially constructed market areas, temples, gardens, meeting halls and everything else that would be required for sophisticated urban living. [...]

This was a land of abundance, of almost ethereal perfection! It was an empire ruled by clearly codified and just laws. The population, without exception, seemed well fed, healthy and wealthy. It seemed to be a flawless society where everyone knew his role and played it perfectly. They were conscious, nay obsessive, about their duties."

So, who do you think it is? Take a guess or go to Instagram () for the next clue.

Subscribe to podcast and stay updated -

📺 YouTube: https://bit.ly/TheUrbanQYT
🔊 Spotify: https://bit.ly/TheUrbanQSP

22/07/2024

11/06/2024

“I simply can’t afford to remain idle despite the risks,” says Shukhjeevan Mishra, an autorickshaw driver in Delhi. He is the sole breadwinner at home and cannot take a break even as the city experiences an extended, brutal heatwave.

Pallavi Ghosh's article in Mongabay.com draws attention to the livelihood and health implications of soaring temperatures.

While autorickshaws are a ubiquitous sight across India, we fail to recognize just how vulnerable drivers are to heat risks.

Jaya Dhindaw (Executive Program Director, Sustainable Cities and Director, WRI India Ross Center) points out, "Sheds, shelters, and enclosed parking spaces are necessary to provide temporary relief from heat stress, first-aid and breaks for maintaining vehicle performance and reducing heat exposure. Integrating these structures into urban development plans can significantly enhance urban resilience to extreme heat conditions.”


Read her views here: ‘Heat wave hits earnings, health of auto rickshaw drivers’: https://india.mongabay.com/2024/06/heat-wave-hits-earnings-health-of-auto-rickshaw-drivers/

As heat wave conditions prevail in Delhi and parts of north India, authorities have advised citizens to stay indoors or in the shade during the mid-day hours when the sun is the strongest and avoid strenuous activity from noon to 4 p.m., to protect themselves from heat stress-related illnesses. Howe...

06/06/2024

WRI India recently conducted a capacity building workshop in Solapur that focused on the processes and findings of the Solapur Climate Action Plan. WRI India as technical partner has been supporting Solapur Municipal Corporation in the preparation of the city’s first ever climate action plan.

The Plan is aligned with the goals of Maharashtra’s Department of Environment and Climate Change that is centered on-ground climate action across 43 cities under the AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) towards achieving net zero by 2050.

The meeting, led by DMC, Environment Shri. Macchindra Gholap, was attended by representatives from the Solapur Public Health Engineering Dept., Electrical Dept., Forest Dept, and Groundwater Survey and Development Agency, Gardens Dept, Town Planning - Development Plan Unit to name a few. WRI India was represented by Leona Nunes, Prasad Lad and Anshula Menon.

The need for a steering climate action cell and the establishment of a robust Monitoring, Evaluation and Results (MER) framework to implement and monitor the progress of the Climate Action Plan were key agenda points of discussion. Solapur Municipal Corporation also indicated specific projects that they wish to implement as part of the city’s climate action plan

06/06/2024

Electrification of public transport is key to achieving India’s net zero target. In the past decade, the public bus sector in India has received a boost in the form of subsidies and other fiscal and non-fiscal incentives. To sustain this momentum towards deploying 800,000 buses in the next decade, addressing the challenges and gaps in the ecosystem is crucial. Financing is a key barrier which must be addressed sustainably.

’s publication ‘Viable Financing Pathways for Electrifying India’s Public Transport’, by Aparna Vijaykumar, Aswathy K P, and Avinash Dubedi, explores accelerating e-bus adoption through innovative financing approaches for the of public transport in India. It also discusses the potential carbon market infrastructure and the impact of internal carbon markets in India, which are key to driving – and financing – the transformation to address climate change.

Read the publication here 👉 https://bit.ly/3VlR5Mf

05/06/2024

🚌 In India, decarbonizing public transport is more than just buzzwords; it's an ongoing process undertaken by the Government of India (GoI) to mitigate the adverse environmental impact of rising urban mobility requirements.

By 2050, an estimated 70% of Indians are expected to live in urban areas, emphasizing the pressing need for safe, accessible, and low-emission public transport. India has already made commendable strides in this arena, with nearly 8,500 operational e-buses so far. Announced last year by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the PM-e Bus Sewa Scheme has been instrumental in driving this change. Unlike traditional schemes, this initiative prioritizes ongoing operational assistance over one-time capital expenditure, ensuring sustainable service delivery.

The impact is tangible: with 10,000 e-buses slated for deployment across 169 underserved cities, the scheme anticipates a 23% increase in bus availability, a 17% rise in bus modal share, and a staggering 6 million additional riders daily. Moreover, over 12 years, 18.3 MT (metric ton) of tailpipe emissions reduction is expected.

The Ministry Of Heavy Industries (MHI) has also undertaken the initiative of charting roadmaps to create long, short- and medium-term strategies for the scaled adoption of EVs across all modes, including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers and electric buses and trucks.

Decarbonizing public transport isn't just about reducing emissions; it's about fostering inclusive, sustainable, and equitable urban cities. hashtag is pleased to support MoHUA and MHI through evidence-based research and technical assistance in supporting the creation of inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities with electric mobility

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05/06/2024

From Mesopotamia to the Harappan civilization, our history shows how critical water systems are to our survival and growth. Today, the relationship between water and human life remains just as crucial but has grown more complex due to climate change and other challenges. On let's take a look at five books, reviewed by Neha Lal, that offer unique perspectives into water systems and their importance to economies and ecosystems.

They remind us that understanding and optimising our water resources is key to a sustainable future.

Read more: https://wri-india.org/blog/worlds-water-5-books-understand-indias-water-systems

04/06/2024

📢In case you missed it! Catch the first four episodes of ‘The Urban Q’ – a podcast series hosted by Jaya Dhindaw (Executive Program Director, Sustainable Cities & Director, WRI India Ross Center) that seeks to inspire the collective action needed to shape sustainable cities.

🔗 YouTube: https://bit.ly/TheUrbanQYT
🔗 Spotify: https://bit.ly/TheUrbanQSP

🔊EPISODE 1: How can we design cities for happier and more vibrant urban lives? Does a city become liveable when the rich and poor meet as equals in well-planned public spaces? With Dr. Enrique Penalosa (Author and Former Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia)

🔊EPISODE 2: Could transport projects help a city become more competitive and productive, with minimal disruption to its residents? Explore the link between mobility systems and the economic growth of a city with Shashi Verma (CTO, Transport for London)

🔊EPISODE 3: Is the concept of a ‘15-minute city’, ensuring quick and easy access to essentials, the answer to raising the urban quality of life? What do we think of when we imagine such polycentric cities? With Prof. Carlos Moreno (Scientific Director of the Research Lab ETI, IAE Paris - Sorbonne Business School, University Panthéon Sorbonne)

🔊EPISODE 4: Drawing lessons from around the world, how can we
harmonize our ‘human’ concerns with the conservation of the urban natural
environment? With Dr. Harini Nagendra (Director of Research & Centre for Climate Change, Azim Premji University)

⏩ All caught up? Episode 5 with Dr. Ines Sanchez de Madariaga (UNESCO Chair on Gender), speaking on the concept of Mobility of Care, is out now.

Follow the hashtag for more -

31/05/2024

| Half of India’s freight registrations are concentrated in just seven states: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bihar, and Rajasthan.

These states offer a strategic opportunity to invest in scaling up zero-emissions trucks (ZETs) – not only to boost market momentum but also to facilitate the testing and improvement of solutions.

Targeted solutions for states could include:

➡ Rolling out charging Infrastructure: Trucks in these states cover vast distances, often travelling hundreds of kilometres daily. A dependable charging infrastructure will bolster ZET adoption.

➡ Establishing ZET corridors: Electrifying highways and expressways can enhance charging efficiency and promote cost-effective travel. Establishing such demonstration corridors will enable focused testing and validate feasibility.

➡ Building stakeholder collaboration: Leveraging targeted investments and regulatory measures to incentivize and promote ZET manufacturing capabilities will be crucial in reducing costs and achieving Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) parity.

31/05/2024

The rapid growth of EVs and renewable energy is driving demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and is expected to reach 218 GWh annually, by 2030. However, the critical metals used in LIBs are limited, posing a potential supply chain strain. Addressing this challenge requires integrating circularity into the ecosystem, supported by robust recycling policies and collection mechanisms.

In a recently concluded workshop on ‘Critical Mineral Demand for Lithium-Ion Batteries in Low Carbon Technologies: Electric Vehicles and Battery Energy Storage Systems’ by hashtag , stakeholders from the E-mobility and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) sectors, recyclers, energy service providers, and experts discussed preliminary findings and emerging trends in India.

Some of the suggestions from the discussion included
➡ A traceability mechanism for batteries and battery material to track the use of recycled battery materials in new batteries.
➡ Strengthening collaboration between industry and government to support the development of new recycling technologies.
➡ Developing skills and expertise in LIB reuse and recycling that also ensures safety and inclusivity.

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28/05/2024

🌇 Bhima, a sanitation worker in Bengaluru, India’s Garden City, has no escape from the sweltering mid-day heat that envelopes the city. Scores of street vendors, autorickshaw drivers, delivery agents, construction and other manual workers, like Bhima, endure peak temperatures on the open roads.

Parks and tree cover can lower ambient temperatures by up to 10°C, mitigating urban heat island effects, observes Jaya Dhindaw (Executive Program Director, Sustainable Cities and Director, WRI India Ross Center). Pragathi Ravi, writing for Mongabay, spoke with several experts who concurred that the risks of heat exposure were disproportionately worse for informal workers, and others in the socioeconomic margins. Many public parks shut at 10 a.m., and reopen only after 5 p.m., limiting the options of informal workers. They can neither access green spaces, nor travel long distances back home, making them vulnerable to heat-related illnesses and fatalities.

🍃 While opening parks during the hottest hours could be a viable stop-gap measure, policymakers and planners need to amplify inclusion and access in city infrastructure.

✅ The growing informal workforce has a right to public green spaces for rest, and safe drinking water and sanitation.

Read more: https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/closing-bengaluru-parks-in-the-afternoons-deprives-outdoor-workers-of-refuge-from-heat/