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POLICY REVIEW

green transportation, Table 1: India’s Urban Trajectory
energy efficient cities and
decarbonising construction Year 2011 2047
and building practices. For Population 1210 million 1640 million
cascading the global vision Urban Population 377 million (31.16%) 820 million
and deliberations at COP28, at
the local level it is necessary to Cities and Towns 7935 -
contextualise the challenges Million + Cities 53 =
in terms of urban policies, Sources: Census of India, 2011 and the UN
strategies, plans, programmes
and climate actions. poses a huge challenge that economic development,
needs transformational environmental sustainability,
The Urban Challenges policies of urban planning cultural and social

In India, 7935 cities and towns and development. conservation and a focus
accommodate 377 million Towards an Eco-City on the rights of the poor,
people,i.e. 31.16 % of total informal sector, women and
population (Census 2011).475 It involves an integrated vulnerable communities. It
Class I cities constitute 42.63 approach of combining Goal requires a shift from linear
per cent of the total urban 11 of the SDGs on making unsustainable system of
population. 3 mega-cities, cities and communities a mega city to a circular,
viz. Greater Mumbai, Delhi inclusive, safe, resilient sustainable eco-city (Fig 1).
and Kolkata have crossed the and sustainable, Goal 13 for The cornerstone of making
10 million population mark, combating climate change a circular, sustainable eco-
while five cities, viz. Chennai, and its impacts, while also city is to adopt an integrated
Bengaluru, Hyderabad, addressing the issues of
Ahmedabad and Pune
have more than 5 million
population. From 432 million
urban population in 2021, it
is projected that by the year
2047, 820 million people will
live in India (Table 1).

In 2047, India with a sixth of
world’s population will be
the most populous country. It
will have the world’s largest
workforce and the third
largest economy. The ongoing
process of urbanisation is
vital for economic growth
by 2047, 75% of GDP and
new jobs will be created in Fig.1: City as a System
cities. At the same time, it Source: UNESCO & MGIEP (2017) Textbooks for Sustainable Development, A
must be sustainable, resilient, Guide to Embedding,UNESCO and Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education,
inclusive and green. This Peace and Sustainability, New Delhi

April, 2024, Volume 25. No.1 - SHELTER 21