At USD 2.4 trillion by 2050, India’s urban climate resilience bill demands localised decision-making and flexible implementation of decentralisation reforms, World Bank report suggests

Indian cities will require greater autonomy to invest effectively in climate change adaptation and mitigation, said Auguste Tano Kouame, World Bank Country Director for India, as he called for stronger local governance mechanisms to address the climate crisis.

Speaking at the launch of a joint report by the World Bank and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Kouame said cities that enjoy more decision-making powers have generally outperformed others in building climate resilience.

“In order for cities to invest in resilience, adaptation, and mitigation, they need to have some kind of autonomy to make decisions and implement them,” Kouame said at the media briefing on Tuesday. “Some people think this can be achieved only by fully implementing the 74th Amendment, others disagree.”

The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, passed in 1992, aims to empower urban local bodies by decentralising governance. However, its implementation has remained uneven across Indian states.

While the World Bank does not prescribe a uniform approach, Kouame suggested that some version of the amendment could be considered depending on local needs and conditions. “It does not have to be implemented in the same fashion across all states,” he said.

The newly released report, which focuses on urban climate resilience in India, estimates that cities will need a staggering USD 2.4 trillion by 2050 to create infrastructure and services capable of withstanding climate-related disruptions such as floods, heatwaves, and rising sea levels.

The report calls for integrated urban planning, robust financing models, and institutional capacity building to help cities address climate risks. It also stresses the importance of aligning national urban missions with local priorities and strengthening city-level data and planning frameworks.

The World Bank is currently supporting multiple urban resilience programmes in India, including the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS) initiative, which promotes sustainable and inclusive urban infrastructure through capacity building and innovation.

As climate risks intensify, Kouame emphasised that empowering city governments with financial and institutional tools will be critical to achieving India’s development and net-zero goals.