What should Mumbai's climate action plan do? Mitigate & adapt

As climate talks kick off in Glasgow, TOI asks 4 experts what they’d like to see Mumbai—which is ‘always in the build mode’—do for its natural environment while balancing infra needs

‘Temporary barriers to water are important’

PUSHPENDRA JOHRI | RISK ANALYST AND SR VICE-PRESIDENT, RMSI

I’d like to see an inundation forecasting system tied into a decision system, and along with that a set of mitigation options. I am also a staunch supporter of temporary solutions that can help people in Mumbai evade some of the problems they face every time it rains. There are many options that could be put into action in a short span of time. We used to have sandbags, nowadays we have inflatable water bags: They inflate with floodwater, and once fully filled, they form a bulwark against the water too. They aren’t aesthetic but you can make them gel with buildings. You can easily stop 2-3 feet of water if you can put such bags in some places and keep your road network clear. Climate change is happening and nothing we can do locally will change that till at least 2050; we have to mitigate and adapt.

‘Coastal infra, green spaces, need an upgrade

RAKESH KUMAR | FORMER DIRECTOR, NEERI