World Bank suggests Indian cities will require investments of $2.4 trillion by 2050 to tackle climate risks

23 Jul 2025 Evaluate

The World Bank in its recent report suggested that Indian cities will require over $2.4 trillion in investments by 2050 to build resilient and low-carbon infrastructure as the cities are becoming more vulnerable to floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related risks. It noted that the cities hold tremendous potential as centres of economic growth, with 70 per cent of new jobs coming from cities by 2030. It highlighted that annual economic losses from rain-related flooding are currently estimated at $4 billion and is projected to grow to $5 billion by 2030 and between $14 and $30 billion by 2070 if no remedial action is taken.

World Bank raised concerns about heat-related deaths saying, if emissions continue at current levels, annual heat-related deaths may rise from 1,44,000 to more than 3,28,000 by 2050. Further, around 20 percent of working hours in major Indian cities could be lost due to high heat stress conditions. It has suggested that heat mitigation alone could increase India's Gross Domestic Product by up to 0.4 per cent and save up to 130,000 lives annually by 2050. It expects country's urban population to grow to 1.1 billion by 2070, requiring more than 144 million new urban homes.

Besides, it emphasized the need of private sector investment as the public financing alone will not be sufficient to meet this demand. It calls for increased private sector investment through tools such as green bonds, blended finance, and access to international climate funds. Moreover, it recommends strengthening the financial autonomy of urban local bodies and improving their capacity to plan and implement bankable projects. It estimates an investment of $150 billion over 15 years could enable 60 per cent of existing Indian cities to implement flood mitigation measures.

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