Tamil Nadu Invests in Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Tamil Nadu, India

3.4K

TONs OF CO₂ EMIssIONs REdUCEd EVERY YEAR

TAMIl NAdU

Inhabitants 72.15 million

GdP per capita $2,862

Geographic area 130,058 km²

ThE ChAllENGE

Rapid urbanization has been accompanied by infrastructure deficits, polluted waterways, and increased vulnerability to droughts and urban floods.

CO-BENEFITs

health

The absence of sewerage systems in project areas poses a major health risk, which improved infrastructure will help mitigate.

social

The program will directly address water, sanitation, and drainage service gaps among disadvantaged and underserved communities, including in slums.

Environmental

Improved sanitation and wastewater management will reduce contamination and ensure that residents have access to a clean water supply.

tamil nadu invests in Climate-resilient infrastructure

A huge infrastructure investment program, covering 10 cities in the state of Tamil Nadu, aims to implement climate-resilient water supply, sewerage, and drainage systems across the region.

India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu wants to promote climate-resilient urban development, as the lack of piped water and sewerage networks serves to increase the vulnerability of residents to water-related climate change impacts. Efforts will center around improving access to water, sanitation, and wastewater disposal services across 10 cities, while also reducing pollution and CO₂ emissions.

India’s first solar-powered sewage treatment plant will be installed in Coimbatore on a pilot basis, and connected with more than 2,800 km of new sewage collection pipelines. Wastewater reuse for industrial purposes will also be made possible by advanced treatment facilities and the flood resilience of the systems will be increased through improved drainage and the raising of critical infrastructure.

Smart water management systems will also be installed, with 1,500 km of water supply distribution systems. Along with 40 new water storage reservoirs, this will provide residents with a reliable source of water, and the introduction of 110 district metered areas will reduce nonrevenue water loss in water-scarce regions.

The program is funded through an ADB loan of $500 million, an Asian Clean Energy Fund grant of $2 million, a government counterpart financing of $766.4 million, and an ADB technical assistance grant of $1 million.

limited urban services. Less than half of the households in Tamil Nadu are being served by piped water and sewerage networks (photo by ADB).

Climate-resilient infrastructure. Water infrastructure is a key component of climate adaptation. Cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu are investing in water infrastructure that is resilient to climate change impacts and can also help the city become less vulnerable to natural hazards (photo by ADB).