The October 2024 floods in Bengaluru, India’s technology hub, laid bare a city struggling to manage escalating climate risks. While headlines focused on disrupted traffic, school closures, and debates over whether climate change or poor urban planning was to blame, the plight of the poor and marginalized — particularly migrants living in informal settlements — remained largely invisible.

As Cyclone Dana, which triggered these floods, receded, so did public attention, and life returned to business as usual. But for Bengaluru, “business as usual” is no longer an option. The city’s response to mounting challenges must go beyond short-term fixes to include long-term resilience planning, particularly for its most vulnerable residents.