Technical Assistance to NCRPB for Strengthening Regional Plan & Functional Plan preparation – Technical Expert on Climate Change

Client: Asian Development Bank (ADB) | Duration: 6 months | Location:National Capital Region (NCR), India

The National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) through Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)–the central line ministry, Government of India has sought technical assistance (TA) support from Asian Development Bank (ADB) to prepare the Regional Plan-2041 (RP-2041) and various Functional Plans (FPs) for the planned development of the National Capital Region (NCR). The NCRPB will be the executing and implementing agency of the project.

Goals & Objectives

  • Value addition in RP-2041 in terms of knowledge support for planning.
  • Technical support and value addition for FPs preparation, node development conceptualization, and advise on creating a framework for project identification.
  • Advise on capacity development/ institutional strengthening initiatives to be undertaken by NCRPB in:
  • Strengthening management, improving governance, service delivery and operation and maintenance mechanisms.
  • Providing exposure to national/ international best practices and global experiences.

The NCR has already overtaken Mumbai Metropolitan Region in terms of GDP and will be the most populous capital region in the World by 2030–31. This presents a unique opportunity for planning and informed investments to make a “Future Ready” NCR; and plan for appropriate amenities and infrastructure in its urban centres for ease of living, and for supporting transformation and inclusive economic growth. NCR faces significant challenges in terms of climate change impacts. The mitigation of these impacts would be crucial to achieve the goal of livable cities. Accordingly, there is a felt need to address the challenge and devise strategies that promote adaptation, mitigation and build resilience on climate change.

NCR faces threats from water security, drought, land degradation, high carbon footprint, loss of vegetation and biodiversity and severe air and water pollution on account of man-made and natural factors. In the planning process (Regional and Functional plans), there is a need to address the climate change resilience and mitigation strategies through a comprehensive roadmap for future actions. Capacity building framework, addressing both technical and policy aspects, for institutional strengthening of various stakeholders would also be a critical aspect of above-mentioned initiatives.

Thus, the role of resource person in assessing climate and disaster risks, climate change impacts, developing climate resilience framework both in an urban and a regional context, and strategizing climate change mitigation and/or adaptation towards building climate resilient and livable cities, with experiences in national and international perspectives would be very useful.

Services Description

Provide technical and advisory inputs in preparation of the RP-2041 and related Functional Plans with respect to the area of expertise:

  • Provide a perspective and advise on assessment of factors/ vulnerabilities that have potential climate change impact in NCR, and provide review inputs to address such impact through strategy measures in relevant chapters of Regional Plan (Draft RP-2041).
  • Provide a perspective for relevant detailing in Sub-Regional Plan, Master Plans and downstream projects; and prepare framework for related Functional Plans.
  • Provide guidance to build a climate resilience framework to ensure factors for resilience to climate risks/ climate change and disaster risks, along with mitigation strategies supported by aspects of risks minimization/ avoidance and mitigation and/or adaptation measures are addressed in the related Functional plans.
  • Provide a perspective for preparation of roadmap for building capacity of NCRPB in identification, assessment, management of strategies for climate change mitigation and/or adaptation, including disaster risk management in both urban and regional context, towards building climate and urban resilience that is gender sensitive/ gender mainstreamed/ considers gender equality and social inclusion aspects as well in its planning approach and design.
  • Advise and suggest international best practices on promotion/ adoption of low-carbon resilient development in NCR through circular economy lowcarbon climate-resilience strategy, including suitable conventional/ any disruptive technologies, and addressing any related challenges in urban/ peri-urban/ rural area context. The global best practices may be referred as per their relevance with respect to the feasibility and their applicability of implementation in Indian context as the overall land economics and governance differs across the countries.
  • Advise on applicable new technologies and best practices to be considered for design purposes, design viable climate resilience measures–such as risk avoidance/ minimization measures, adaptation, and/or mitigation measures, etc.
  • Assist/ participate in ADB TA missions, as required, and support in necessary post-mission documentation.