This book offers essential insights into potential catastrophic events
that might befall upon the emerging urban landscape in South Asia, and
which are due to hazards, risks and vulnerabilities inherent in the
region's geophysical location, as well as due to climate change and
unplanned urbanization. It highlights major physio-graphic, demographic,
geological and geophysical indicators that are responsible for changing
the pattern and trend of urbanization in South Asia - a crucial issue in
view of emerging threats of climate change, and changes in the
demographic profile. The book addresses the disaster management scenario
in South Asia, manifestations of climate change in the region and
various urban setups under climate-change-induced risks. Further, it
elaborates on the challenges of urbanization-based neo-risks and
vulnerabilities, which manifest in the form of slum area growth, piling
and littering of waste and filth, new health risks, groundwater
contamination, air pollution, highly energy-dependent lifestyles,
poverty, socio-economic tensions, etc. It also critically examines the
institutional mechanisms for disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate
change adaptation (CCA) and urban governance, and suggests appropriate
changes in the governing structure to mitigate these risks.
The book draws the attention of urban planners and policymakers to
current shortcomings in the administrative and financial structures of
local urban bodies. While outlining climate-associated risks and
adaptation strategies in South Asia, it also suggests measures for
integrating climate change and urban adaption with state's planning
processes, and puts forward a risk alleviation platform to bring the
risk managers working in different fields together, so that they make
concerted efforts to achieve sustainable development. It offers valuable
takeaways for researchers, urban planners, those working in industry,
consultants, and policymakers.
