India’s cities are expanding at breakneck speed, evolving into sprawling urban hubs that drive the nation’s economic engine. Yet, this rapid urbanization is unfolding alongside a looming climate crisis. Extreme weather events like urban floods, heatwaves, and rising pollution levels are becoming the new normal in cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, and Delhi. While urban resilience has become a buzzword in climate policy discussions, the current approach often overlooks one critical factor—social inclusion & future of marginalized communities.

Whose Resilience Are We Building?

Urban resilience is often measured in terms of infrastructure—flood barriers, drainage systems, and green corridors. While these interventions are vital, they barely scratch the surface of what true resilience entails.

The impacts of climate change are not distributed equally, with marginalized communities bearing the brunt of climate-related disasters. Women, people with disabilities, informal sector workers, and the urban poor consistently face the greatest risks and the slowest recoveries.

Street vendors, gig workers, and construction labourers—those who form the backbone of India’s informal economy—are on the front lines of climate threats. During heatwaves, these workers are exposed to extreme temperatures without access to shade or water. When floods strike, their makeshift homes are the first to be submerged. Despite their vulnerability, these communities are often left out of climate adaptation plans.

Similarly, people with disabilities face disproportionate challenges during climate crises. The 2015 Chennai floods exposed the deep flaws in disaster preparedness, with many disabled individuals unable to access relief shelters or medical aid. Inclusive resilience demands that we design cities where emergency services, transportation, and communication systems are accessible to all—before disaster strikes.

Building Just Resilience: A Dual Imperative

The path to inclusive resilience lies in adopting two critical principles: just transition and just resilience. A just transition ensures that as cities shift toward cleaner industries and energy systems, vulnerable communities are not left behind. This means offering job retraining programs, social protections, and access to new economic opportunities.

Just resilience goes one step further, embedding equity into climate adaptation strategies. This involves prioritizing the needs of marginalized groups in disaster preparedness, recovery efforts, and long-term urban planning.

Community participation is key—local women’s groups, disability advocates, and informal workers must have a voice in shaping climate policies that directly affect their lives.

Adaptation and Mitigation: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Inclusive resilience requires a balanced approach to both adaptation and mitigation. Adaptation strategies must address the unique vulnerabilities of marginalized communities, such as providing financial resources and disaster preparedness programs for women in informal settlements. Participatory planning processes, backed by disaggregated data on gender, income, and disability, can help ensure that no one is left behind.

On the mitigation side, India’s push for zero-emission mobility and renewable energy must be accompanied by targeted support for those most affected by these transitions. Investing in affordable public transport, retraining programs, and community-based solar initiatives will help bridge the gap between climate action and social equity.

The Way Forward: People at the Center of Urban Resilience

As India’s cities brace for an uncertain climate future, the need for inclusive resilience has never been more urgent. Urban development must move beyond concrete and steel to place people—especially the most vulnerable—at the heart of climate strategies. Women’s empowerment, disability inclusion, and support for informal workers must be embedded in every stage of climate planning, from risk assessments to policy implementation.

The success of the Kudumbashree women’s collective in Kerala’s post-disaster recovery efforts serves as a powerful example of what inclusive resilience can achieve. By empowering marginalized communities, we can transform cities into places where development, equity, and sustainability go hand in hand.

India’s urban future hinges not only on how we adapt to climate change, but on who gets to be part of that adaptation. Building cities that are both resilient and just is not just a moral imperative—it is the only way to ensure that no one is left behind in the face of an unfolding climate crisis.