Driving cities to transformative climate change actions: The climate-health risk management project (CHARISMA) in India

Rising vulnerability to heat waves and infectious diseases due to climate change necessitates urgent action in cities. Effectiveness of urban policies, tactfulness of city planning, infrastructure development and efficiency of urban expansion plans will shape the extent and impact of climate change on a city, and the vulnerability or resilience of citizens residing in it. The c limate- h e a lth ris k ma nagement project (CHARISMA) focuses on the development of a web-based climate-health information dashboard for 50 cities in India, aiming to aid the formulation of climate adaptation plans for managing health issues exacerbated by climate change. It offers the ability to download and visualize data and maps at city-level on urban climate conditions, including heat vulnerability and vector-borne diseases. The platform integrates simulated climate data for the periods 2011–2020 and 2041–2050, considering various climate change scenarios and accounting for urban growth based on city masterplans. The climate-health information dashboard is conceived as a guiding framework for urban planning to assist Indian cities in devising customized interventions for innovative and integrated climate action planning. This will allow city-planners and health officials to take timely and appropriate decisions in resource-constrained settings. As cities frequently face limitations in technical expertise and capacity building for climate action, it is imperative to support policymakers in comprehending the realm of climate actions. Recognizing this opportunity, CHARISMA was designed to engage in research to guide effective policy by focusing cities as stakeholders in the national climate action agenda.