Karnataka Takes Steps to Become Climate-Resilient with World Bank Support
Karnataka is taking steps to become more climate-resilient and mitigate disaster risks with the help of the World Bank. A delegation from the World Bank, led by Country Director Auguste Kouame, recently held discussions with the Karnataka government regarding the ‘Resilient Karnataka Programme’. The programme is aimed at making the State climate-resilient and strengthening it to mitigate disaster risks, with international expertise.
The World Bank is also supporting two projects in Karnataka – a USD 367-million rural water supply project and a USD 150-million urban water supply project’s second phase. The projects are at the advanced stages of discussions for approval.
Karnataka has faced seven or eight severe droughts and severe floods, landslides and sea erosion in the last five years, including unprecedented floods in Bengaluru city. The Resilient Karnataka Programme will have a strong focus on putting in place a cross-cutting institutional arrangement on disaster risk management across the State. It will also have a focus on urban flood management as a second component, specifically in Bengaluru, and on drought management across the State. The fourth component will be coastal risk management and the blue economy, including plastic waste management in coastal zones.
The World Bank is already working with Kerala on a project of similar fashion, known as ‘Resilient Kerala Programme’, and is also in talks with Maharashtra to work on a similar programme there. At the city level, it is working on the resilient Chennai, which includes the flood management there.
The World Bank is supporting existing programmes in Karnataka, such as the dam rehabilitation project, national cyclone project, underground water project and national hydrology project. It is encouraging to see the Karnataka government taking steps to make the State more resilient and mitigate disaster risks. We hope that the Resilient Karnataka Programme will be implemented soon and will be successful in helping the State become more climate-resilient.
This is great news for Karnataka! I’ve seen first-hand the effects of climate change in the state and I’m glad the government is taking steps to become more climate-resilient. I’m sure the World Bank’s expertise will be invaluable in helping the state mitigate disaster risks.
It’s excitin to hear that the Karnataka Goverenment is takin steps to make the state more resilent and mitagate disaster risks. I have seen first hand the benifits of similiar programs in other states and am hopin that the Resilient Karnataka Programme will be succesful. Has there been any research done on the economic impact of these programs? I would be interested to learn more.
What a great initiative to help Karnataka become more climate-resilient! I’m so glad to hear that the World Bank is supporting this program and I hope it will be successfully implemented. I’m sure this program will have a positive impact on the lives of many people in the state.