How to tackle complexity in urban climate resilience? Negotiating climate science, adaptation and multi-level governance in India

management plan, Transportation Plan, Local Economic Development Plan or Strategy, Infor- mal Settlement Upgradation Plans, Sites and Services Plan, Slum Development Schemes, Solid Waste Management Plan, Energy Management Plan, Water Management Plan, Sewer/ Liquid Waste Management Plan, Emergency Management Plan, Public Health Plan. Although these functions have considerable influence on mitigating disasters and climate resilience of a city, in practice, many states are still in the process of actually devolving functions such as urban planning, regulation of land use, and urban forestry to the concerned ULBs. In addition to the governments, during the last decade, private and non-governmental organizations such as Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), TARU Leading Edge, The Energy and Resources Institute (under the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network funded by the Rockefeller Foundation) and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) have initiated pilot projects to create awareness and build capacity of urban governments on climate change issues, but their involvement is confined to select cities of Gorakhpur, Surat, Indore, Guwahati, Shimla, Bhubaneswar, Mysore [67]. The climate initiatives need a significant scaling up and shift in focus from mitigation to resilience action. 4.1.3. Institutional capacity. The institutional capacities include an assessment of both technical and financial conditions, particularly those on the ground. Technically, India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) document submitted to the UNFCCC claims

that smart solutions like recycling and reuse of waste, use of renewables, protection of sensitive natural environment will be incorporated to make cities climate resilient [68]. In practice, there is a lack of capacity at multiple levels of the institutional apparatus to address environ- ment and development issues. For instance, the 74th CAA provides a framework to enable par- ticipation of citizens in urban governance through formulation of wards committees in cities, yet only handful of states constituted these [69]. The subject of ‘climate change’ being excluded Table 1. The gaps in climate resilience components in government’s urban missions. Mission / Initiative Infrastructure Gaps in Climate resilience Smart City Water supply, sanitation and waste management, urban mobility and public transport, health and education, electricity, affordable housing, robust IT and digitization Lacks assessment of urban climate vulnerability, future impacts and resilience measures in defining smart city features, strategy and proposal preparation guidelines crucial to planning, infrastructure, buildings, health, etc. AMRUT Water supply, sewerage facilities and septage management, storm water drains, green spaces, parks and recreation centres, parking spaces and pedestrians non-motorized public transport Provision of open spaces and transportation facilities lacks resistance to floods, heat, sea-level rise, landslides, etc. The refurbishment of old infrastructure and creation of new one lacks strengthening/ coping mechanisms to endure foreseeable climate impacts. The water supply,

drainage and sewerage management infrastructure lack mandatory reforms provision for water recycling and harvesting. HRIDAY Sanitation toilets, drinking water facilities, solid waste management, traffic management, street furniture, public transport and parking Creation of new facilities lack pre-audits for engineering resilience against future climate impacts. Housing for ALL (Urban) Civic amenities and infrastructure There is no mandatory provision to protect buildings and civic infrastructure against climate induced natural disasters Swachh Bharat Mission Urban households toilets, community toilets, public toilets and urinals, solid waste management Creation of new facilities lack pre-audits for engineering resilience against future climate impacts. Source: [66] https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253904.t001 PLOS ONE Negotiating complexity of climate science, adaptation and multi-level governance in urban resilience PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253904 July 1, 2021 7 / 21