A Study on the Vulnerability of Two South Asian Cities [Karachi & Mumbai] to Rising Sea Levels and Glacier-Ice Plate Melting
The study investigates how vulnerable Karachi and Mumbai are to climate change, especially rising sea levels and melting glacier ice plates. Karachi and Mumbai are two of the biggest towns on the coast of South Asia. Both towns have big economic risks. By 2050, Mumbai could be at risk for $920 billion in assets. The study shows that both areas are very likely to be affected by climate change. By 2100, the sea level is expected to rise 24 to 66 cm in Mumbai and 20 to 40 cm in Karachi. Mumbai is more vulnerable because it has a lot of people, a lot of land that has been turned back into homes, and a lot more rain every year. The study also shows how inadequate the current infrastructure is, especially when it comes to drainage systems, and how vulnerable big informal settlements are. Both cities have started to adapt, but Mumbai has made more progress in putting in place complete plans, especially for managing flooding and planning cities. Some important suggestions are to set up integrated flood management systems, protect the coast better with ecological and man-made solutions, manage water better, make building codes and land-use rules stricter, and create specific plans for how to adapt for informal settlements. Some areas of future study that should be looked into are detailed maps of vulnerabilities, cost-benefit analyses of adaptation strategies, and solutions that come from nature.
