Sinha, Saumitra: Travel Grant - 2016-2017

In many slum settlements of Kolkata, India, water is acquired through unreliable sources such as dug-wells, which are very susceptible to natural disasters. Climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of floods and droughts, putting the residents of these slums at high risk. A climate action plan for Kolkata has recently been released. Taking two case areas, this study will review if the water management strategies of the plan would reduce short- and long-term climate risk. It will argue that climate adaptation approaches for water management need to incorporate disaster response strategies to ensure that the most vulnerable are climate resilient.