Abstract

In the multiple transformations that South Asia will undergo over this century, urbanization occupies a vexed and poorly understood position, though if India’s citizens are to realize their potential, it is both a necessary and an inevitable outcome. Concomitantly, it is intimately linked to climate change. On the one hand, migration induced by climate change-induced drought and environmental risk may lead to an involuntary spurt in urbanization. On the other, it could be a contributor to climate change via growth, consumption and emission. This chapter explores a limited set of emergent issues that will have to be considered as India develops its domestic approach to urbanization in the context of climate change. It is structured into two broad sections:(a) the feedback loops from urbanization to climate change and vice versa and (b) actions needed at multiple levels to influence these processes.