Blogs

Representatives from over 100 countries that have signed the Paris Agreement gathered in Bonn, Germany from 5 June 2023 to 15 June 2023 for the Bonn Climate Change Conference (SB58). This was the 58th session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This year’s conference was built on the mandates that emerged from COP27 in Egypt last year and is seen as a precursor to COP28.

Steffi Olickal spoke with members of the WRI India...

This blog highlights the challenges and opportunities for greening for climate action in low-income communities by looking at three neighborhoods in Mumbai: Lallubhai compound, Cheeta camp and Ambujwadi.

“I live in an area that has barely any trees. There is little shade and during very hot days, I feel tired and dizzy,” sighs Priya Shinde, a resident of Lallubhai compound. Every day, Priya walks to the nearby school where she teaches. There is no respite from the heat at the school either, as the children and the staff bear the brunt of hot metal roofs, little to no...

The second blog in our two-part blog series illustrates four pilot community based ‘Nature-based Solutions’ (NbS) interventions in Jaipur that address climate induced heat stress and water scarcity. The first blog in the series introduced the context for the project and, highlighted five key strategies for implementing NbS in the city.

India experienced...

India is expected to be the most severely affected nation with global water scarcity projected to increase from 933 million in 2016 to 1.7-2.4 billion people in 2050. Ranked 13th amongst the most water-stressed nations in 2019, with just 4% of the world’s water reserves and...

This blog delves into the definition and measure of ‘urban’ in India to discuss the methodological gaps in existing definitions. It also looks at the advantages and limitations of a global method endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission for the delineation of urban, peri-urban and rural areas.

Earlier this year, India surpassed China to become the most populous country in the world. With 68% of the world population projected to live in urban areas by 2050, India is expected...

As the world moves towards a green energy transition, effective, equitable and efficient energy governance is crucial for ensuring that the energy needs of the most vulnerable populations is met and nobody is left behind. This requires multi-level cooperation and stakeholder participation.

The UNDP Global Energy Governance Advisory group has been constituted with this as its purpose. Bharath Jairaj, Director of Energy at WRI India and member of the UNDP energy governance advisory group speaks with us about what constitutes energy governance, the institutional and policy...

Since 2013, WRI India’s annual flagship event, Connect Karo, has served as a meaningful platform for facilitating dialogue between policymakers, experts and stakeholders to drive sustainable change and progress, particularly on issues of urban development and climate change. In the 10 years since its inception, several key decision makers have participated in these discussions and key takeaways from these sessions have impacted sustainability outcomes for our cities. As we mark a decade since its first edition, Connect Karo 2023 will be held under a theme that exemplifies WRI India’s...

In Korchi, a tribal block in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, tendu patta (leaves of tendu plant) is a valuable resource for forest dwellers. Used to wrap tobacco in the form of beedis (a local variant of a cigar), tendu leaves are seasonal produce collected by forest-dwelling communities and recorded in their ‘tendu job cards’ every day. This annually issued card helps them calculate the number of tendu leaves bundles collected and receive their income at the end of the season.

Indian households often feature an older person with fond memories of walking to school, replete with eating golas (flavored ice cones), climbing trees and playing gilli danda (a popular children’s game) with friends. Today, most parents in urban India would not dream of letting their child walk to school alone, owing to speeding vehicles and the lack of safe footpaths. Even in cases where the school is within walking distance, most parents tend to drop off the child in a private or shared vehicle. But for many children, like 10-year-old Rinku, walking is the only option...

This article was originally published in the April-June 2022 issue of the Energy Manager Magazine.

Early action on the green transition offers immense opportunity to boost business, innovate, attract new investments, create new jobs and develop a competitive advantage in new, emerging sectors like green energy (solar, wind, green hydrogen, etc.) and green technologies (electric vehicles, etc.). Early action is also needed to ensure that conventional players in these sectors remain competitive as the green...