Page 61 - Shelter-April 2024

CASE STUDIES

A critical analysis of Mumbai’s Global Perspectives sees increased emissions due
vulnerability to climate and Indian Pathways In to the expansion of living
change exemplifies the dire Urbanisation areas, driven by the rise in
consequences of neglecting In the 21st century, urban nuclear families and single
sustainable urban planning. areas have become the living households, advancements
The root causes, including spaces for more than half in information technology,
widespread concretisation of the world’s population, and the growing size of home
and inadequate urban marking a significant shift appliances.
planning, are linked to in global demographics Moreover, buildings and
temperature anomalies (United Nations, 2011). This infrastructure that do not
and exacerbating the demographic shift, primarily meet energy efficiency or low-
urban heat island effect. driven by the pursuit of carbon emission standards,
This effect hampers the employment opportunities as the focus often shifts
natural absorption of and industrialisation, places toward immediate comfort,
rainwater, overwhelms the immense pressure on urban convenience, and cost-saving
city’s drainage capacity, infrastructure, leading to rather than prioritising energy
and elevates health risks multifaceted environmental conservation, compound the
by facilitating disease issues such as pollution, issue. The Urban Heat Island
proliferation (Chinmayi, resource scarcity, and a decline effect further intensifies urban
2012). in quality of life (QOL). These temperatures compared to
urban challenges contribute rural areas due to increased
This paper argues for a significantly to climate heat absorption and air
strategic redirection towards change, a phenomenon pollution, contributing to the
developing low-carbon cities exacerbated by the emission overall urban CO emissions
2
to counter climate change of greenhouse gases identified footprint. This scenario
impacts, drawing insights by the Kyoto Protocol (World underscores the challenges
from Malaysia’s successful Bank, 2010). The Ministry urbanisation poses and its
impact on carbon emissions.
greenhouse gas reduction of Land, Infrastructure, The subsequent section will
initiatives. It advocates for Transport and Tourism Japan explore the concept of low-
integrating green building (2011) identifies specific carbon cities as a potential
practices, innovative energy sectors responsible for carbon solution to these challenges,
solutions, and a cultural dioxide emissions (Jing, examining the planning
transformation embracing 2009). The transportation initiatives underway at
sustainability and energy sector’s emissions primarily various levels to address
conservation. By examining stem from the increased use the carbon footprint of
these approaches, the of passenger cars, reflecting urbanisation (The World
a broader trend towards
study proposes actionable motorisation. Expanding Bank, 2011).
frameworks for Indian cities offices and retail spaces In 2001, India was home to
to navigate the transition and the heightened energy roughly 286 million urban
towards carbon neutrality, consumption necessitated residents, ranking it second
highlighting the critical role by continuous operations worldwide in terms of urban
of community engagement contribute significantly to population size (Vaidya,
and policy reform in fostering CO2 output in the business 2009). Future projections
environmental resilience. sector. The residential sector indicated a 38% increase in

April, 2024, Volume 25. No.1 - SHELTER 59