Urban Resilience in India: A Context Specific Definition and Parameter Framework for Strategic Planning in Kochi
| International Journal of Civil Engineering |
| © 2026 by SSRG - IJCE Journal |
| Volume 13 Issue 3 |
| Year of Publication : 2026 |
| Authors : Ankita Saxena, Yogesh Keskar, P.V.S Raju |
10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V13I3P121
How to Cite?
Ankita Saxena, Yogesh Keskar, P.V.S Raju, "Urban Resilience in India: A Context Specific Definition and Parameter Framework for Strategic Planning in Kochi," SSRG International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 287-296, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V13I3P121
Abstract:
Resilient buildings are becoming increasingly important in sustainable urban planning due to climate change and human activities. Urban resilience has emerged as a critical paradigm in contemporary urban planning. This research examines the concept of resilience in relation to Kochi, a city in Kerala, India. Kochi faces escalating risk due to climate change and rapid urbanization. A mixed-methods approach has shown that resilience encompasses several dimensions, including physical, societal, and social aspects. The current studies include field surveys and setting up discussions with experts as a part of the process. The research examines a specific concept of resilience within the context of Kochi, concentrating on the capacity of the city's constructed and natural systems to endure, adapt, and reorganize in response to climate-induced changes while continuing to provide important services. Elevation, slope, drainage patterns, land use, and rainfall are some of the most critical elements that determine resilience. It relies on the current state of affairs and any problems in the region. The analytical framework focuses on physical and environmental factors, and institutional factors are discussed qualitatively for planning integration. The findings demonstrate a strong association between low-lying areas, drainage, and reoccuring flood exposure. The study will assist city planners, policymakers, and individuals who establish adaptive strategies related to climate change for the coastal communities.
Keywords:
Resilience, Resilient city, Coastal inundation, Precipitation, Sea level rise.
References:
[1] Sara Meerow, Joshua P. Newell, and Melissa Stults, “Defining Urban Resilience: A Review,” Landscape and Urban Planning, vol. 147, pp. 38-49, 2016.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[2] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, Cambridge University Press, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[3] Jon Coaffee et al., “Urban Resilience Implementation: A Policy Challenge and Research Agenda for the 21st Century,” Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 403-410, 2018.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[4] World Urbanization Prospects 2023, United Nations, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://unctad.org/system/files/official document/wesp2023_en.pdf
[5] Urban India 2024 | Jan - Jun, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), 2024. [Online]. Available: https://niua.in/urban-india-2024-jan jun
[6] R. Krishnan et al., “Assessment of Climate Change Over the Indian Region,” A Report of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India, Springer Singapore, 2020.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[7] Down to Earth, “Climate India 2024: An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events,” Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), 2024.
[Publisher Link]
[8] World Bank, “Towards Resilient and Prosperous Cities in India,” World Bank Group, 2025.
[Publisher Link]
[9] Government of Kerala, Kochi City Development Plan, Department of Urban Affairs, Thiruvananthapuram, India, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://lsgd.kerala.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/lsgd_orders_pdf/go20231222_36198.pdf
[10] Aromar Revi, and David E. Satterthwaite, Urban Areas, WGII AR5 Pre Release, Wordpress, 2013.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[11] Lubaina Rangwala et al., “Climate Resilient Cities: Assessing Differential Vulnerability to Climate Hazards in Urban India,” World Resources Institute (WRI) India, 2024.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[12] Manju Mohan, “Urban Heat Island Assessment for a Tropical Urban Airshed in India,” Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 127-138, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[13] Sneha Mahale, New Study Finds 35 Percent of Kochi Vulnerable to Heat Stress, 25 Percent to Flooding, Moneycontrol Research, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/science/new-study-finds-35-percent-of-kochi-vulnerable-to-heat-stress-25 percent-to-flooding-12359941.html
[14] Land Use and Land Cover Analysis, National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.nrsc.gov.in/nrscnew/assets/pdf/ebooks/Chap_2_LULC.pdf
[15] Gina Ziervogel et al., “Inserting Rights and Justice into Urban Resilience: A Focus on Everyday Risk,” Environment and Urbanization, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 123-138, 2017.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[16] Ayyoob Sharifi, “Urban Resilience Assessment: Mapping Knowledge Structure and Trends,” Sustainability, vol. 12, no. 15, pp. 1-18, 2020.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[17] Robin Leichenko, “Climate Change and Urban Resilience,” Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 164-168, 2011.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[18] Climate and Resilience in Cities, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/climate-and-resilience-in cities.html#:~:text=Importantly%2C%20it%20is%20estimated%20that,unexpected%20events%20such%20as%20pandemics.
[19] Michael Batty, “Digital Twins in City Planning,” Nature Computational Science, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 192-199, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[20] UN-Habitat, World Cities Report 2024: Cities and Climate Action, United Nations Human Settlements Programme, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://unhabitat.org/world-cities-report-2024-cities-and-climate-action
[21] Kochi, India Adopts Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience, World Resources Institute (WRI), 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.wri.org/outcomes/kochi-india-adopts-nature-based-solutions-climate-resilience
[22] Thomas Elmqvist, “Urban Resilience Thinking,” The Solutions Journal, 2016.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[23] Crawford S. Holling, “Resilience and Stability of Ecological Systems,” Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, vol. 4, pp. 1-23, 1973.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[24] Suniya S. Luthar, Resilience and Vulnerability: Adaptation in the Context of Childhood Adversities, Cambridge University Press, pp. 460 482, 2022.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[25] W. Neil Adger, “Social and Ecological Resilience: Are they Related?,” Progress in Human Geography, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 347-364, 2000.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[26] Rockefeller Foundation, City Resilience Framework, The Rockefeller Foundation and ARUP, 2014.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[27] Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), 2015. [Online]. Available: https://www.undrr.org/publication/sendai-framework-disaster-risk-reduction-2015-2030 [28] Valérie Masson-Delmotte, “Global warming of 1.5°C,” Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2018.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[29] IPCC, Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability, Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Cambridge University Press, 2014.
[CrossRef] [Publisher Link]
[30] Brian Walker et al., “Resilience, Adaptability and Transformability in Social-Ecological Systems,” Ecology and Society, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 1-9, 2004.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[31] Fran H. Norris et al., “Community Resilience as a Metaphor, Theory, Set of Capacities, and Strategy for Disaster Readiness,” American Journal of Community Psychology, vol. 41, no. 1-2, pp. 127-150, 2008.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[32] Jeryang Park et al., “Integrating Risk and Resilience Approaches to Catastrophe Management,” Risk Analysis, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 356-367, 2013.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[33] Katarina Rus, Vojko Kilar, and David Koren, “Resilience Assessment of Complex Urban Systems to Natural Disasters: A New Literature Review,” International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, vol. 31, pp. 311-330, 2018.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[34] Sandra Derissen, Martin F. Quaas, and Stefan Baumgärtner, “The Relationship between Resilience and Sustainability of Ecological Economic Systems,” Ecological Economics, vol. 70, no. 6, pp. 1121-1128, 2011.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[35] Reducing Vulnerability and Exposure to Disasters: The Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2012, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), 2012. [Online]. Available: https://www.unescap.org/publications/asia-pacific-disaster report-2012-reducing-vulnerability-and-exposure-disasters