Climate Change - Question of Cities

A reality-based, sustainable urban planning order

The abysmal living conditions and perpetual stress for millions in cities like Mumbai are not accidental but the intended outcome of planning that’s increasingly skewed towards exclusive city-making and profiteering. The prevailing approach to planning has manufactured social and ecological…

Planning does not make space for women, children, and
the informal

The way cities are planned and built reveals a disconnect and inequity in how they treat the marginalised, the informal workers, women and children, many of whom bear the brunt of the extreme weather conditions. “When a city doesn’t plan…

Godavari on the edge: Faith, floods, and the politics
of preparation

The preparations for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela are not merely a logistical exercise but also an act of (re)configuring the Godavari itself reflecting the tensions between religiosity, urban development, and the ecological materialities of a river under stress. Recasting the…

The unheard stories of people’s struggle and protest for water

Protests for the simplest of human needs – water – took place in many cities and towns of India this summer, from Jaipur and Indore to Delhi and Palghar, as the harsh summer and depleting water levels led to acute…

Ten reports on heat, heat risks and women, and water challenges

As most cities in India record temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, the warning signs of climate change cannot be ignored. Over the years, researchers have, through their studies and reports, detailed the impact of extreme heat. Climate change is a…

Rising heat makes cool
Kashmir history

As Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir turn hotter than ever in summer and winters become warm, discussions revolve around declaring heat waves in a region known to be bitterly cold to cool. Heat is no longer an aberration but…

Shade as infrastructure for Hyderabad’s vendors in scorching sun

The city’s tree cover has shrunk, taking away the natural shade that would have provided some respite for thousands of vendors forced to work in the harsh summer sun. As vendors focus on finding spots on roads and pavements, severe…

Economies of exhaustion: Women, work, and
climate action

Nearly 168 million women do informal work in India’s cities as street vendors, domestic workers, construction labourers, home-based workers, waste pickers, but most have no contracts or safety nets. They carry an unequal burden, often higher than that of men…

Dehradun, we dream a future without air purifiers and ailments

Two summers ago, when the temperature of Dehradun touched 47 degrees Celsius, many realised the price of sacrificing trees for development and came out to protest. The picturesque hill station has been marred by over-tourism, congestion, excessive construction, and poor…

Community filmmakers tell lesser-known stories of
their cities

Cities are often spoken about through master plans, metrics and futures imagined top down. Often lost in these are how people live every day, adapt and adjust, resist and remake their city. The arts and films are ways to capture…