Himalaya is the most densely populated and rapidly urbanizing mountain on the planet. During recent years, it has experienced rapid urban growth which is mostly unplanned. More recently, comparatively less accessible areas have also come under the process of rapid urbanization mainly owing to the extension of the road network and resultant improved access to markets and growth of tourism. These changes are making urban ecosystems as well as their peri-urban zones highly vulnerable to a variety of environmental and socio-economic risks, particularly, slope failures, landslides, flash-floods and livelihood insecurity affecting mainly poor and marginalized sections of the community. The study aims at interpreting linkages between urban growth and increasing environmental vulnerability with a case illustration of Kumaon Himalaya. Besides interpretation of secondary data, the study employed comprehensive socio-economic surveys and empirical field observations methods. Results indicated: (i) urban population increased (30%), and proportion poor population has increased (35%) during 2001-2020; (ii) proportion of households inhibiting in environmentally unsafe areas, such as slopes vulnerable to flash floods and landslides increased (25%); (iii) percentage of the urban population without access to safe drinking water raised (15%); and (iv) proportion of people with no access to toilet and sanitation increased respectively increased by 27% and 25% during the last 20 years. This clearly indicates that urban development planning extremely lacks social access and equality. These changes have increased the vulnerability of nearly 55% urban population to flash-flood, slope failure and landslides in Himalaya under climate change. It is therefore highly imperative to integrate socio-economic equality and environmental justice into urban development policies particularly in view of the emerging threats of climate change.
Keywords: Extension of road network|flash floods and landslides|social access and equality|livelihood security|climate change
A103183PT