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BBMP’s BCAP and #BlueGreenUru: Charting a Greener Future for Bengaluru

December 6, 2023December 7, 2023
BBMP’s BCAP and #BlueGreenUru: Charting a Greener Future for Bengaluru
In a notable move towards a sustainable future, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) launched Bengaluru’s first climate action plan – Bengaluru Climate Action and Resilience Plan (BCAP) with WRI India as the knowledge partner. The BCAP focuses on Bengaluru’s climate resilience with targets to reduce GHG emissions . The climate actions proposed in BCAP are aligned with seven key sectors focused on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and building healthy, equitable and resilient communities.

Integration of NbS in BCAP
The BCAP highlights the importance of nature-based solutions in adopting climate-aware integrated urban water management, urban planning, greening and bio-diversity measures. The following key sector-wise strategies are covered in BCAP to integrate NbS –

Sector Action Track Goal
Water, wastewater, and stormwater Restore and enhance sponge spaces to increase groundwater recharge and decrease storm water runoff through green infrastructure technologies. 40% of city’s surface area to become permeable by 2040 by reclaiming ecologically sensitive spaces and adopting Nature Based Solutions.
  Adopt improved technologies and nature-based solutions for efficient and equitable wastewater treatment that are aligned to the city’s mitigation goals. 95% wastewater treatment with a combination of centralised and decentralised system with about 61% low carbon wastewater treatment technologies by 2050.
Urban Planning, Greening and Biodiversity Develop climate-resilient and nature integrated plans for the city and city-region through participatory planning practices All spatial plans and DCRs to adopt climate action as a lens by 2030.
  Adopt Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) as an urban planning and design tool to improve resilience and livability.
  • Conserve and restore all blue- green networks in the city. All urban infrastructure schemes and projects should adhere to disaster resilience standards.
  • Increase the city’s tree cover (canopy) from the baseline by 10% by 2030 and 20% by 2040.
  • Increase the city’s green (vegetation) cover and permeable surface to 40% of the city’s area by 2040, to tackle flood and heat- related disaster risk reduction.
  • Convert 75% of the city’s footpaths to permeable surface material by 2050.

#BlueGreenUru Initiative
Additionally, the #BlueGreenUru initiative was launched by BBMP, to encourage citizens, community-based organisations, resident-welfare associations (RWAs), the private sector and government authorities to participate, contribute and collaborate in conserving, restoring, and integrating Bengaluru’s green spaces and water network. Blue-green infrastructure comprises a combination of blue elements (lakes, rivers, streams & other natural and constructed drainage channels) and green elements (gardens, urban forests, green roofs etc) to serve as a buffer to climate change shocks.