Pathways for Integrating Climate-Disaster Resilience into Planning: Scaling Sub-National Studies to National Policy Paradigms

Abstract

Climate-induced disasters have caused huge damage worldwide. It has profound implications for development characterized by large-scale investments in infrastructure and poverty reduction programmes. This calls for urgently integrating climate-induced disaster- risks in development. While the integration has happened at national level in India through policies and plans, it is far from satisfactory at the subnational levels (state, district and lower levels). The findings from three case studies in diverse socio-economic and hazard contexts across three states in India have helped understand the challenges and barriers to integrate climate- and climate-induced disaster- risks in development planning at the subnational levels. Further, the implications of research findings are drawn for national and international policies and treaties. The research indicates key institutional and capacity gaps of departments at district level and respective urban local bodies. These gaps exacerbate climate-induced disaster- risks to achieve desired level of sustained productivity and functionality of infrastructure in varied sectors/sub-sectors as well as hampering the effectiveness of poverty reduction programmes.