Articles by Rohit M

For nearly three decades, the world has gathered to talk about climate change at the annual Conference of the Parties (CoP). These efforts are well-meaning — they set shared goals, put climate on the world’s agenda, and create space for countries to work together. But turning these good intentions into actual progress? That’s where things get tricky. Emissions keep rising, and the 1.5°C target is slipping further from reach. The challenge isn’t knowing what needs to be done — it’s understanding why it isn’t happening, how to make action easier, and how to hold leaders accountable for the commitments they’ve…

Chennai’s recent history is marked by a string of disastrous weather events, particularly floods. The city’s water woes are not new, but the erratic nature and increased frequency of floods and droughts have raised questions regarding its in a climatically unstable world and what resilience might look like in the future. A large number of initiatives under ‘Climate Adaptation’ and ‘Urban Resilience’ have been mooted, and designed by bureaucrats, technical experts and consultants. These responses range from watershed management to urban development schemes to ecological restoration of waterbodies. But the story of top-down climate adaptation measures has less to do…