Future proofing Indian cities: final urban diagnostic for Madurai
The diagnostic for Madurai has outlined that for stakeholders in the city, gaps in Madurai’s ‘blue-green infrastructure’ is perhaps the most pressing nexus of challenges the city needs to address to safeguard its long term future. The range of issues of particular importance include increasing demand for water resources, poor water distribution infrastructure, and contamination of existing supplies when combined could constrain the capability of Madurai to grow and prosper in the future as the needs of the city and wider region grow. The severe water stress Madurai and the wider Vaigai Basin are already experiencing and the interconnectedness of Madurai’s ‘blue-green infrastructure’ mean that the city will be impacted by climate change. The direct impact of climate change on blue-green systems along with indirect impacts such as the spread of communicable diseases means that addressing this nexus of issues figures high in the list of priorities for city stakeholders.