India, Oct. 18 -- Cities are centres of economic growth, contributing around 63 per cent to India's GDP while housing approximately 36 per cent of its population. This urban population is expected to reach 50 per cent by 2050, further intensifying the challenges cities face from extreme weather events such as heatwaves, floods, and droughts as recently witnessed in Wayanad, Chennai, New Delhi and other cities. According to a study by IIT Gandhinagar, the proportion of urban areas exposed to extreme weather events is set to increase significantly as global temperatures rise beyond 1.5degC above pre-industrial levels. While the growing vulnerability is felt across rural and urban centres, the multiplier effect of damage caused to urban infr...