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Sustainable Housing Solutions for a Climate-Change Resilient Bangalore
Sustainable Housing Solutions for a Climate-Change Resilient Bangalore

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Building cities that work sustainably, requires a collaborative effort by local and national governments, along with participation from those residing in them.

Bengaluru remains a top choice for millions of aspirational and ambitious minds drawn to the Silicon Valley of India pulled by prosperous job opportunities. The city’s population is expected to reach 18 million by 2031. More than 50% of Bengaluru’s population depends on rental housing, and skyrocketing rents have also made it difficult for lower-income groups to avail all the necessary urban living facilities.

At a global level, the World Bank predicts that more than 50% of the world’s population lives in cities. This trend is poised to continue, with the urban population more than doubling its current size by 2050, at which point nearly 7 of 10 people will live in cities.  

Disproportionate Impact of Climate Change in Cities

With more than 80% of global GDP generated in cities, urbanization can contribute to sustainable growth through increased productivity and innovation if managed well.  Buoyed by the rapidly accelerating population and needs of people, cities are also exposed to the steadily increasing impact of climate change – which affects especially those who live in lower-income communities.

To balance this population influx and the increasing impact of climate change on living conditions, communities, and governments are exploring sustainable methods of living. Ellara Bengaluru – a collective of dedicated NGOs, civic practitioners, academia, and CSR groups – is also approaching these challenges via climate-resilient and community-led methodologies that are economically viable.

Solution Providers Working on Building Climate-Friendly, Inclusive Cities

Partners working with Ellara are working with communities, especially people belonging to vulnerable and marginalized groups, to approach and combat climate change-associated challenges by educating them on sustainable methods of living. These economically viable methods explore various facets of the lived realities of urban poor communities; from solutions for better access to water to combating heat stress and solid waste mismanagement, these organizations are engaged in building the resilience of the most vulnerable to combat climate stresses. Biome Environmental Trust’s The Million Wells project encourages communities to dig and maintain recharge wells and employs well-diggers. They engage and educate different communities on rainwater harvesting, and floodwater recycling to combat the city’s dependency on depleting water resources, erratic monsoons, and dependency on a single natural water body.

Sustainable housing solutions are being developed by Mahila Housing Trust (MHT), which has helped low-income communities in Gujarat and other states implement water-proof modular roofs, solar reflective paints on roofs, and foliage-laden green roofs to help absorb heat and cool homes. These solutions were worked upon by women living in these regions along with MHT, thereby helping communities respond and adopt newer, affordable, and resilient solutions themselves.

Similarly, Bengaluru-based Hasiru Dala Innovations has successfully married a sustainable solution to an improved employment opportunity for waste collectors. It has trained waste collectors in waste segregation, by learning new skills of composting and data keeping, and formally getting involved in the waste management implementation of the city. Hasiru Dala’s efforts transformed waste collectors into service providers and entrepreneurs, thereby strengthening the waste management of the city grappling with the increasing population.

Selco Foundation also works on sustainable energy-driven solutions to empower vulnerable, migration-prone communities across sectors. One of its energy solutions is building solar-powered systems that range from 1-kilowatt peak (kWp) to 30 kWp, and can work independently off the grid, and power smaller communities and healthcare centers.  A solar mini-grid comprising a centralized photovoltaic system efficiently distributes power between the houses.  Selco and Mahila Housing Trust have also collaboratively implemented a climate pilot in Janakiram Layout in Bengaluru that included the installation of a solar home lighting system to remove dependence on illegal grid connections among the poor who lack access to legal connections.

The confluence of the above and many such results-oriented, economical solutions assures participation from communities and government stakeholders in building sustainable housing and, more broadly, sustainable urban spaces. As the city simultaneously grows in professional opportunities and people, it actively needs to inculcate environmentalism across all its modes of living and ensure that it includes the city’s urban poor in decision-making bodies; only then will communities become climate resilient.


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Bijal Brahmbhatt
Executive Director at Mahila Housing Trust

Bijal Brahmbhatt is Executive Director at the Mahila Housing Trust in Gujarat, India. She is a civil engineer by training and a recognised expert in habitat improvement, community development, and housing finance. She has extensive experience in conceptualising, planning, managing, and providing support for slum upgradation programmes across India.

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