30 Indian cities likely to face acute water risks by 2050: WWF Report
In a new report release by Water Risk Filter 30 Indian cities likely to face acute water risks by 2050. The new water risk scenarios estimate that hundreds of millions of people in cities across the globe could face dramatically increased water risks – unless urgent action is taken to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
The WWF’s Risk Filter analysis has said 100 cities that hold importance in national as well as global economies and are home to 350 million people are set to face the greatest rise in acute water risks by 2050 “unless urgent action is taken to mitigate and adapt to climate change”.
Two Indian cities — Jaipur (45th) and Indore (75th) — have featured in this list.
Additionally, the report named 28 more Indian cities, which it said will face “increasing water risks in the next few decades”. They are Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Aligarh, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Delhi, Hubli-Dharwad, Jabalpur, Kannur, Kolkata, Kota, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Dhanbad, Gwalior, Pune, Rajkot, Srinagar, Surat, Thane, Vadodara and Visakhapatnam.
Over the last few years, cities from Chennai to Shimla, have faced an acute crisis of water supply. Cities across India have been facing acute shortage of water due to rapid urbanization, climate change and lack of appropriate infrastructure, which continues to put stress on the existing infrastructure.
Only 8% of rainwater is saved in India. The lack of rainwater harvesting, which is key for water conservation, have been highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat radio address.
“The future of India’s environment lies in its cities. As India rapidly urbanises, cities will be at the forefront both for India’s growth and for sustainability. For cities to break away from the current vicious loop of flooding and water scarcity, nature-based solutions like restoration of urban watersheds and wetlands could offer solutions. This is our chance to re-evolve and re-imagine what the future of the cities could be,”
Dr. Sejal Worah, programme director, WWF India, said in a statement.
Globally, the list includes cities such as Beijing, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Mecca and Rio de Janeiro. China accounts for almost half the cities.
Water Risk Filter: Launched in 2012, Water Risk Filter has been developed by WWF and the German finance institution DEG. The Water Risk Filter is a practical online tool that helps companies and investors assess and respond to water-related risks facing their operations and investments across the globe.
