India, Feb. 23 -- The latest Economic Survey has once again emphasised the importance of creating liveable Indian cities. A key test of making cities liveable lies in their capacity to adapt and mitigate climate shocks, while sustaining growth and equity.

Over the years at different levels of governance, there have been a number of climate-friendly urban policies to build water bodies, adapt to heat waves, tackle sustainable mobility, build climate-resilient infrastructure, and improve waste management, amongst other measures. Yet the scale of the threat remains immense. Today, in Delhi one in seven deaths has been associated with air pollution. By 2030, 40% of Indian cities are projected to run out of water, and urban areas are increasi...