Ahmedabad has been ranked the world’s least climate-resilient major city in a new global assessment, with its high exposure to climate hazards and gaps in adaptation measures contributing to its poor performance.
Ahmedabad, Hyderabad (Pakistan) Share Bottom Spot
The ranking by geospatial risk analytics firm AlphaGeo assessed 72 of the world’s largest cities based on their exposure to climate risks and their ability to cope with them.The assessment compared the climate hazards faced by each city with the adaptation measures in place, including infrastructure, governance and early warning systems.Ahmedabad shared the bottom position with Hyderabad in Pakistan, making the two cities the least climate-resilient among those assessed.
Flooding, Heat and Extreme Rainfall Add to Risk
AlphaGeo examined cities for their exposure to inland and coastal flooding, heat stress, drought, wildfires and hurricane-force winds. It also assessed measures such as drainage systems, flood barriers, early warning mechanisms and governance.For Ahmedabad, high exposure to flooding and extreme monsoon rainfall, combined with inadequate adaptation measures, contributed to its low ranking.The findings come amid the city’s recurring problems with waterlogging, flooding and heavy rainfall during the monsoon season.
South Asian Cities Dominate the Lower Rankings
The assessment highlighted wider climate vulnerabilities across South Asia. Cities such as Multan and Lahore in Pakistan, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Kolkata in India also featured among the least-resilient cities.Among other Indian cities, Bengaluru ranked 12th, Chennai 15th, Delhi 22nd and Mumbai 45th in the list of least climate-resilient cities.The presence of several South Asian cities near the bottom reflects the region’s vulnerability to intense rainfall, flooding and other climate-related threats, along with gaps in adaptation infrastructure.
Chicago Tops Climate-Resilience Ranking
At the opposite end, Chicago emerged as the world’s most climate-resilient major city.The US city benefited from a relatively moderate climate and decades of investment in flood-control infrastructure, including an extensive underground tunnel and reservoir system.AlphaGeo’s assessment aims to distinguish between the climate risks cities face and the measures they have adopted to reduce their vulnerability.For Ahmedabad, the ranking underscores the growing gap between its exposure to extreme weather events and its existing capacity to manage their impact.