The city’s climate vulnerability came into focus alongside a demand for loss and damage funding for climate impact on its urban poor at a meeting of South Asian cities at the ongoing global climate summit COP28 in Dubai last week.
This was the first time such a demand came up on an international platform.
The meeting, titled Adaptation, loss and damage finance frameworks ensuring transformation of South Asian cities towards net zero, was convened by Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA), a platform of over 250 green organisations across south Asia, and others.
“Climate change impact is not only a physical threat but also a development deterrent. Our people are already suffering. I am happy that the loss and damage fund has been operationalised in this COP. I request you to see how the same can be facilitated for the climate-impacted people in Calcutta,” said Debasish Kumar, the mayoral council member in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC), at the Dubai discussion.
The loss and damage finance facility, a mechanism to support climate-affected population, was operationalised at COP28.
“It is necessary to assess how climate risk to urban infrastructure and the massive losses associated with it can be addressed under these funds. Urban centres also have the agenda of migration of climate displaced people,” said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, from the Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment, and a panellist at the session.
“Countering climate change impacts on the city, particularly on its poor, is a priority for me. We already have the component in our climate plan and the details are being worked out by a committee of experts. We will try to find out how finances can be generated to implement the plans,” said mayor Firhad Hakim from Calcutta.
Experts from Europe and Asia were also on the panel.
“We are working with the CMC on cutting fossil fuel and the preparation of the Kolkata Climate Action Plan. We will be happy to explore the city’s opportunity to access funds,” said Sanjay Vashist, director, CANSA.
“Money is only one part, Calcutta’s vulnerable community should be supported with appropriate case studies and technology to counter their climate-inflicted loss and damage,” said Harjeet Singh, a member of the UN transitional committee on climate change.
Nilanjan Ghosh, an economist and a member of the committee preparing the city's climate action plan, said: “Losses in the Sunderbans, hardly 100km from Calcutta, result in permanent losses in various supporting and provisioning services for the urban centre. Hence it should be a claimant for loss and damage finances.”
