Making Madhya Pradesh’s Smart Cities Climate Resilient
There is increasing recognition that infrastructure and related sectors are at risk due to climate change. Madhya Pradesh has embarked on creating a smart urban future. This presents opportunities for building Smart Cities across Madhya Pradesh to mainstream climate resilience into their Smart City Plans. Smart Cities across Madhya Pradesh need to anticipate and prepare for a hotter and wetter future. Data from climate models suggest that by the middle of the century, temperatures are likely to increase by about 1.3°C in Indore and by about 1.5°C in Gwalior compared to current levels. Further, average rainfall is likely to increase across all Smart Cities (Bhopal ~8 per cent; Gwalior~3 per cent; Indore ~10 per cent) by the middle of the century. Days with extreme heat (i.e. heat-wave days) as well as heavy-precipitation events are likely to become more frequent. These changes may place infrastructure such as energy, transport, and water supply at considerable risk.
