Cities need a defence against disasters

There is an urgent need to strengthen the climate and disaster resilience of our cities-not just to prevent the damage to life and property, but also to keep the city functioning

A sombre reminder of life’s transience emerges when one looks at the lifeless picture of a man crushed under a fallen pillar at the Delhi airport as the city floods due to heavy rainfall. Of late, India has borne witness to multiple incidents of loss of life and damage to critical infrastructure due to extreme weather conditions.

In the last few months alone, the walls and pillars of several airports (including in the National Capital) have collapsed due to heavy rainfall. Such instances beg the question whether our smart cities have a climate-smart and disaster-resilient infrastructure to