Among the world’s 181 countries, India ranks as the fifth most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. A recent report by CEEW (2021) underscores that 27 of India’s 35 states and union territories (UTs) face extreme vulnerability to hydro-meteorological disasters and their compounded effects. The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) further predicts a challenging future for India, with increased dry spells, more intense rainfall exceeding 20%, and a sharp rise in heatwaves and cyclonic events, adversely affecting natural and human systems. In 2021, approximately 35% of India’s population resided in urban areas, with 7 of the world’s top 10 cities exposed to environmental risks located in India. Nearly 43 Indian cities, including Delhi (rated as the second highest risk city globally), Chennai, Agra, Kanpur, Jaipur, Lucknow, Bengaluru, and Mumbai, rank among the 100 most vulnerable cities in Asia, facing various climate-related threats such as rising sea levels, heatwaves, floods, and cyclonic storms (Environmental Risk Outlook 2021).

Climate change risks extend beyond the environment and impact socio-economic aspects, including livelihoods, incomes, and social hierarchies. Vulnerable communities, especially those with low adaptive capacities, bear the maximum brunt of these risks. In urban areas, Base of Pyramid (BoP) communities residing in slum settlements face heightened vulnerability to climate change impacts. Down to Earth data reveals that slum settlements constitute nearly 17% of India’s urban population, with slums present in 65% of Indian towns. Nine states have higher slum populations than the national average of 17%, including Andhra Pradesh (36%), Chhattisgarh (32%), Madhya Pradesh (28%), Maharashtra (23%) and Odisha (22%), with Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra being two of the proposed states where MHT can deploy the project. In other proposed states for intervention, the percentages of slum populations as part of the urban population were as follows—Uttar Pradesh 14%, Rajasthan 12%, Delhi 11%, Gujarat 6%, Jharkhand 5%11. However, these statistics must be read carefully, as the government never notifies many communities exhibiting distinctly slum-like characteristics; Delhi, or example, has not notified any new slums since 1994.

Urban slum communities are already burdened with various challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, limited access to basic services, occupational hazards, financial vulnerability, and socio-political marginalization. The additional pressures of climate-related issues such as heatwaves, water scarcity, vector-borne diseases, air pollution, and floods further compound these hardships. These communities, situated at the intersection of multiple vulnerabilities and marginalisation, struggle to adapt to climate change’s impacts, leading to ” slow but potent” disaster scenarios. Unfortunately, as urbanisation and climate change continue to accelerate, slum dwellers will bear the heaviest burden of the adverse consequences of both phenomena.

Women and children in urban slums are particularly vulnerable to these risks. Women bear the burden of household responsibilities and often spend hours in poorly ventilated spaces, using low-quality lighting and cooking solutions that lead to physical ailments like asthma and allergies. They are also at a higher risk of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria due to stagnant water in the area. Gender inequalities further exacerbate the situation, limiting women’s access to resources, decision-making power, and mobility. Many women, including those in slums, work from home on contractual terms, and climate change-related events like heatwaves, floods, and cyclones are expected to reduce their working hours, productivity, and overall engagement in the labor force while increasing mental health concerns.

Given this, the project’s primary objective is to enhance the resilience of urban slum communities to climate risks while minimising asset loss and preserving productive employment opportunities. To achieve this, MHT adopts a targeted approach, providing solutions that encompass improvements in built environments, clean energy, and technology interventions, as well as facilitating financial access for households to benefit from these solutions. Furthermore, the project empowers institutions for the poor through women-led community action groups (CAGs). Although the project aims to benefit all household members, women, who dedicate significant time to household activities (both paid and unpaid), are the primary focus, as the solutions implemented will have specific impacts and benefits for them.