NEW DELHI: India needs to invest more than US$2.4 trillion by 2050 to build climate-resilient urban infrastructure, as its fast-expanding cities face growing challenges from extreme weather events linked to climate change, the World Bank said on Tuesday.
The number of Indians living in cities is projected to nearly double to 951 million by 2050 from 480 million in 2020. But erratic rainfall, heatwaves, and rising sea levels are leaving urban areas in the world’s most populous nation increasingly vulnerable, the bank said in a report.
Without large-scale investments in housing, transport, water, and waste management systems, India will face escalating costs from weather-related damage, said the report entitled “Towards Resilient and Prosperous Cities in India”.