India has world’s highest number of slum clusters in flood-prone areas

📝 India: Slum Clusters in Flood-Prone Areas

📅 Updated: July 31, 2025 | 📰 Source: Nature Cities Journal

✅ Key Highlights:

• India has the world’s highest number of slum-dwellers (158 million) in flood-prone areas, especially in the Ganga delta.
• Study analyzed 343 major floods and satellite data across 129 low- & middle-income countries.
• Slum-dwellers are 32% more likely to settle in floodplains (due to low land costs).

🌍 Global Context:

• 33% of slum clusters in the Global South (≈445 million people) are flood-exposed.
• Hotspots: India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Rwanda, Morocco, Brazil.
• India ranks #1 globally in absolute numbers.

🏙️ Urban Trends:

• 40% of India's slum population resides in urban/suburban floodplains.
• Bengaluru is among the most flood-prone cities (IMD report).

⚠️ Key Factors:

• Drivers of Settlement:
  • Job access
  • Financial constraints
  • Lack of affordable housing
  • Urban expansion in flood zones
• Infrastructure Gaps:
  • Poor drainage
  • Inequity in flood insurance
  • Tin/tarp housing in vulnerable areas

🎯 Policy Recommendations:

• Shift to human-centric flood risk planning.
• Integrate with SDGs 2030 (poverty, water, sanitation, climate).
• Invest in sanitation, drainage, and waste management for resilience.
• Encourage community-government collaboration.

🧠 Technology Role:

• AI + Satellite imagery used to map and predict risk zones.
• Potential for future studies on climate change, slum growth, migration.
  
  Source : The Hindu