Gujarat Leads the way in Community-Centric Climate Resilience Planning

ICLEI South Asia conducted three workshops between 30 April to 3 May 2025  in Ahmedabad and Surat under the project “Assessing and Managing Loss and Damage: Local-level evidence to inform global-level action in Gujarat State, India.” Funded by the United Nations Environment Programme Copenhagen Climate Centre through the United Nations Office for Project Services, and supported by Transitions Research and the Gujarat Institute of Development Research, the initiative aims at building resilient urban futures in the state. 

The workshops brought together Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) and NGOs to foreground grassroots perspectives and focus on developing a city-level methodology for Loss and Damage (L&D) assessment and strengthening Gujarat’s capacity in this area. They witnessed active participation from multiple departments within the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, including Disaster Management, Health, Engineering, Urban Community Development, Water Resources, Fire & Emergency Services, City Planning, Town Development, Heritage, Smart City, and the School Board, who shared their inputs and valuable observations.

Critical topics such as growing threats from heat waves, urban flooding and related health burdens, particularly on vulnerable communities,  challenges of healthcare, housing, food access, and urban services leading to serious economic disruptions were discussed. Drawing from real-world challenges, participants shared their local experiences of both economic and non-economic L&D. Representatives from various organisations reflected on the impacts of extreme climatic events on lives, livelihoods, and cultural practices. They shared coping strategies and outlined existing support mechanisms, and highlighted the need to establish robust institutional mechanisms to tackle such crises. 

Recommendations included enhancing interdepartmental coordination, improving data collection systems and strategies, establishing a robust L&D assessment framework, and ensuring that climate action in Gujarat is inclusive, community-informed, and locally grounded.