Caught between concrete and panic, India should not maladapt to climate change
India faces a critical choice between using engineering solutions like sea walls or managed retreat to address climate-induced coastal erosion. The article warns that prioritizing luxury infrastructure over social equity leads to 'maladaptation,' which ultimately harms vulnerable populations.
Why it matters
It addresses the ethical and practical challenges of climate adaptation in developing nations, emphasizing the need for equitable infrastructure planning.
With more than 7,500 km of coastline and millions of people living in low-lying coastal areas, India faces a dilemma that it has often been told is really a trap: use engineering solutions to hold the line, so to speak, or to beat a retreat inland . While many adaptation experts and institutions in high-income countries have favoured a ‘managed retreat’ in high-risk coastal areas, governments in South Asia have favoured concrete walls instead. But really, Indians’ best bet is an oft-unarticulated third way.
The article presents a balanced analytical view on environmental policy, focusing on the social equity implications of engineering decisions.
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