Mapping a Greener Future: Community-led Urban Greening in Bommanahalli, Bengaluru
Public opinion on climate action in India has strengthened, with 77% of respondents in the People’s Climate Vote calling for stronger commitments. In response to these growing concerns, Bengaluru has taken proactive steps to enhance urban resilience and sustainability. The Bengaluru Climate Action and Resilience Plan (BCAP), launched in November 2023, provides a structured roadmap for reducing emissions, adapting to climate risks, and expanding green infrastructure.
In June 2024, the dialogue on climate change was enriched by the second edition of the world’s largest stand-alone public opinion poll on the subject, conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of Oxford (UNDP 2024). The People’s Climate Vote, which included responses from 77 countries, revealed critical insights from India:
- Seventy-seven percent of the respondents believed that India should strengthen its commitments to address climate change.
- Seventy-five percent of the respondents strongly supported the protection and restoration of nature, including tree planting.
These findings accentuate the heightened awareness and demand for climate action amid rapid urbanization, concretization, and dwindling green cover. Bengaluru, a city that exemplifies these challenges, has been at the forefront of addressing climate change. Bengaluru joined the C40 Cities network in 2017 and as a member of the network, Bengaluru began preparation of its first-ever climate action plan in 2021. After an intensive evidence building and consultation process, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) launched Bengaluru Climate Action and Resilience Plan (BCAP) on November 27, 2023 in partnership with WRI India and C40 Cities. BCAP re-affirms Bengaluru’s commitment towards a net zero carbon future and building resilience against climate hazards in line with India’s climate action agenda by articulating clear goals, targets and actions across sectors. Bengaluru also joined the Cities4Forests network in 2024 to reinforce its commitment towards enhancing green cover in alignment with BCAP goals.
The BCAP reinforces Bengaluru’s dedication to climate action by providing a practical roadmap to identify sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reduce them. The BCAP details strategies for mitigating climate impacts, adapting to changes, and enhancing resilience. This plan is executed through a collaborative multisectoral effort across seven key sectors with 266 action points—involving citizens, community organizations, residents welfare associations (RWAs), the private sector, academic institutions, subject experts, and government authorities.
To coordinate stakeholders and resources for implementation of the BCAP, the Climate Action Cell (CAC) was established in February 2024 (BBMP n.d.-a). This cell helps city agencies develop actionable and fundable projects in partnership with various stakeholders, ensuring alignment with BCAP goals across all the seven sectors.
While the BCAP and CAC were being formed, the #BluGreenUru campaign was launched. Through #BluGreenUru, BBMP is engaging with stakeholders to collaborate in enhancing Bengaluru’s climate resilience by conserving, restoring, and integrating the city’s green spaces (parks, green spaces around buildings, street trees, green roofs, community gardens etc.) and water networks (rajakaluves, wetlands, lakes, open wells, recharge wells, etc.). The CAC was also instrumental in Bengaluru joining the Cities4Forests global initiative in June 2024 (Cities4Forests n.d.). Toward advancing Bengaluru city’s efforts in localized climate action, a community-led greening mapathon activity was launched across two weekends, June 16–17 and June 22–23. The mapathon event aimed to identify potential urban greening sites in the highly urbanized Bommanahalli Zone, which is one of the eight administrative zones of BBMP located in the southern periphery of the city.