Around 70% of Mumbai’s landslide-prone areas fall within informal settlements, found a WRI-India report titled ‘Climate Resilient Cities: Assessing Differential Vulnerability to Climate Hazards in Urban India’. These settlements are also observed to have land surface temperatures (LST) 5-8 degrees Celsius higher than neighboring areas. Out of the 287 landslide-prone locations in the city, 200 overlap with slums or informal settlements.

In August 2021, two incidents of landslides were reported in Vikrohli and Mahul, resulting in 29 deaths. The report introduces a Climate Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment (CHVA) framework that analyzes the interactions between climate risks and socioeconomic factors to strengthen climate action. It assesses both hazards and the vulnerability of people and critical infrastructure, providing an understanding of urban vulnerability.

The CHVA framework was conducted in Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Solapur, and Bengaluru. The report details the actions and interventions carried out based on the assessment. It aims to help cities understand and act on vulnerability, considering factors such as socioeconomic, political, and demographic drivers.

To assess landslide risks, the report suggests analyzing landslide susceptibility using geological data, slope, and land cover. Historic landslide hotspots can also be studied to identify spatial and temporal trends. Infrastructure layers can be overlayed to evaluate landslide risks in transport networks.

The report highlights the rising air temperature in Mumbai, citing a consistent annual increase of 0.25°C over 40 years. Since 2015, annual air temperature anomalies show a departure of nearly 1°C. The impact of increasing temperatures on urban heat risk is emphasized.

The first Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP), launched in March 2022, received technical support from WRI India in its drafting.