Peri-urban adaptation

As cities expand to encompass villages, towns, and urban areas originally outside their boundaries, these places—known as peri-urban areas—urbanize quickly. However, since this rapid urban growth is often unplanned, many of these communities do not fall within the city’s official jurisdiction and lack critical infrastructure and governance systems. Furthermore, without appropriate planning, urbanization can cause significant damage to the natural environment. The result is that traditional livelihoods are compromised and residents of peri-urban areas are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.  

Through cross-cutting research and on-the-ground engagement, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities aims to reduce the impact of climate change by building resilience in peri-urban areas. We enable local government and community organizations to develop effective resilience strategies. We currently focus on coastal communities, working with city leaders and resilience planners in Mumbai, India.