The best of QoC 2023
As 2023 comes to a close, it is customary to compile year-end lists of the work done throughout the year. At Question of Cities, we join the bandwagon not as an exercise in self-congratulation but more as a reflection of…
Climate adaptation funds are not reaching frontline communities: What needs to be done about it
After the brouhaha at the launch of the Loss and Damage Fund during COP27 last year, the reality has sunk in that the marginalised and vulnerable communities around the world have a long and difficult road to access the resources.…
When celebrations also mean bad air, deafening noise and waste mounds
The glitter and bonhomie of festivals in India bring in unwanted and unhealthy guests in the form of pollution and waste. Every year, in the north of India especially, the winter air which is laden with emissions and is hazardous…
How cities subtly changed the flavour of festivals
People in cities celebrate their traditional cultural festivals - with a difference. As city living becomes more demanding and public spaces shrink, festival rituals are adapted. Festival celebrations, altered to suit modern urban living but retaining some rituals that people…
Women move the narrative from victims to agents of change
At a time when extreme weather events are causing damage and destruction around the world, women are silently turning climate crusaders in their communities and leading mitigation or adaptation measures. Women are affected disproportionately more and in different ways than…
How is India mainstreaming gender in Climate Change adaptation?
Women are often portrayed as victims of Climate Change, or as ‘most vulnerable’ while failing to recognise other realities. Women’s contribution to household-adaptive capacities and intra-household decision-making, often cooperative than combative, is lost. This oversight erases the substantive evidence on…
Pune’s women waste pickers show path to climate action
Women waste pickers have been playing a crucial role towards making Pune zero-waste. Their efforts mean nearly 80,000 tonnes of waste recycled annually which saves the municipal corporation at least Rs 100 crore besides reducing the burden on landfills --…
Climate-induced inflation wrecks women’s food practices in Shaheen Bagh
Shaheen Bagh, a middle-class and predominantly Muslim area in south east Delhi, emerged as the city’s culinary hub after the persistent protest against the draconian Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens in 2019-2020. Though the chaalis futa road…
Making nature and people in cities the focal point of dialogues
As Question of Cities completes a year, we present to you some of the best and the most-read essays or on-ground stories through the year – with the added value of having the writers reflect on a few key questions.…
Making new cities in climate emergency calls for respecting nature
A city does not exist outside of its natural conditions, no matter how much air conditioning or bottled water we use. As Climate Change continues to increase in intensity and variability, it is necessary to pay attention to building sustainable…