Blogs

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...

This is the first in a series of three blog posts that looks at three manufacturing sectors –pharmaceuticals, chemicals and automobiles – the climate risks that they face, and proactive measures that can help climate-proof these critical economic clusters.

Over the last decade, the Government of India has introduced a slew of initiatives such as the Make in India and Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, to promote indigenous manufacturing and spur economic growth...

Whether one seeks an escape from Delhi’s scorching summer heat or a winter afternoon basking in the sun, Sanjay Van National Park, one of the city’s few surviving urban forest, comes to mind. Mangalavanam in Kochi or Shalimar Bagh in Srinagar evokes a similar sentiment in residents of these cities.

Trees, parks, and urban forests are essential to cities not just as spaces of community building, but as they also offer multiple ecological benefits, from building resilience against climate change to water security, biodiversity, resident health, and well-being. Adequate green cover...

India ranks 7th out of 181 countries in vulnerability to climate associated risks. This two-part blog series explores the opportunities that Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) can offer to tackle the challenges posed by climate change and how they can be translated to climate-specific geographies, with a focus on the city of Jaipur in Rajasthan. The first blog in the series identifies strategies employed in the city for building climate resilience through NbS interventions....

In the final blog of the three-blog series on India’s fertilizer industry, we look at the importance of shifting to green hydrogen in the fertilizer industry to reduce import dependence and achieving energy and food security. Read the first and second blog of the series.

India’s fertilizer sector is dependent on imports...