Youth-driven Climate Resilience and Disaster Preparedness
Grassroots Lessons from Maharashtra
Anushka Goswami, Dulari Parmar, Srishti Mandal, Shravan Prabhu, Vishwas Chitale, Roshni Nuggehalli, Shahenshah Ansari
October 2024 | Climate Resilience
Suggested Citation: Goswami, Anushka, D. Parmar, S. Mandal, S. Prabhu, V. Chitale, R. Nuggehalli, and S. Ansari. 2024. "Youth-Driven Climate Resilience and Disaster Preparedness: Grassroots Lessons from Maharashtra." Shelter 25, no. 1 (2347–4912): 66–78.
Overview
India has experienced an increase in the intensity, frequency, and duration of extreme weather events in recent years. Disasters do not impact everyone equally; children, the elderly, marginalized groups, people living in slums, and women are often more vulnerable. Disasters can be especially stressful for children and teens, as they may have a limited understanding of these events, fewer decision-making opportunities, and less experience coping with high-stress situations. While youth are at risk, they also have the potential to act as change agents in disaster risk reduction, bringing unique perspectives, skills, and experiences that can help build community resilience.
This paper presents case studies of the Thane Heat Action Plan 2024 and YUVA’s Community Climate Action Planning intervention in Mumbai to illustrate effective disaster management through a combination of technology and community involvement. The active participation of youth in disaster risk reduction highlights the tremendous potential to strengthen resilience. However, as the impacts of climate change escalate, efforts are needed to mainstream youth engagement in developing and implementing action plans, fostering a sense of ownership, empowerment, and resilience within communities as they develop disaster management strategies.
Key Highlights
- The Thane Heat Action Plan (HAP) emphasis on ward-level risk and vulnerability assessment, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the challenges involved in heatwave preparedness and response.
- Given that India has over 4,800 cities, developing localized heat action plans is crucial for enhancing resilience against the rising risks of extreme heat and humidity. Engaging youth in this process can be achieved through various initiatives such as community awareness campaigns, data collection, and decision-making efforts.
- YUVA has initiated local adaptation efforts focusing on urban greening, place-making, and nature-based solutions in rehabilitation and resettlement colonies and educational institutions in Mumbai.
- The Community Climate Action Planning (CCAP) which is a bottoms-up approach is being implemented in Vasai-Virar, Navi Mumbai, and Guwahati. Additionally, YUVA advocates for mainstreaming climate mitigation through land use planning in their respective city development plans.
Key Recommendations
- Assessing the effectiveness of current youth engagement policies is essential to propose interventions that accelerate climate action and support the goal of a climate and disaster resilient India.
- Effective climate solutions require alignment between grassroots actions driven by youth and communities and macro-level urban policies to comprehensively address climate vulnerabilities.
- Engaging young people in data collection, awareness generation, and decision-making processes in the Heat Action Plans will not only leverage their energy and enthusiasm but also foster a sense of ownership and accountability.
"Policy-making and ground-level implementation flourish when youth are placed at the forefront of building resilience. By fostering a sense of ownership and accountability, we not only harness their energy but also empower future leaders to address climate challenges. Effective disaster management is enhanced by the integration of advanced technologies and adaptive, forward-thinking solutions at the community level."
