Published on 25.03.2026
Local Government Institutions (LGIs) could play a key role in preparing communities for climate resilience, by upgrading their capacity for local level planning and in formulating development programmes suitable for local climate adaptation. This argument is elaborated by documenting the efforts that are taken at the local governance in Keralam in the area of disaster mitigation and suggestions to improve performance of LSGs are elaborated in the recent Working Paper authored by Ms Sarada Muraleedharan, Former Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala, published by the Centre for Socio-economic and Environmental Studies (CSES), Kochi.
Discussions on climate change is not something which needs to be discussed only at the international and national levels. LSGs have a crucial role to play in preparing local communities in adapting to climate change and to reduce impacts of extreme climatic events, on the life and livelihood of communities.
The Disaster Management Act of 2005 was the first to make a calibrated response at multiple levels at the centre, state and local, to the incidence of disasters in the country. The Act does acknowledge the role of local governments. In Kerala, floods of 2018 brought the role of LSGs to the forefront in disaster management—the incredible local understanding that the LSGs displayed as first responders, and of their ability to harness resources for the rescue effort, ensured that casualties was so low. Post floods at the local self-government level working group were formed on biodiversity, climate change, environmental protection and disaster management.
Key recommendations of the Working Paper are listed below:
- The State has a responsibility to handhold LSGs to take appropriate decision on climate resilience. For instance, by providing and augmenting the policy framework, to incentivise green constructions, to ensure responsible infrastructure development, to enforce comprehensive waste management solutions, to redirect its subsidy regimes towards climate resilient socio- economic behaviour, to explore new funding mechanisms and to harness new technologies and new information critical to taking appropriate decisions.
- Space technology and access to data have generated a capability of assimilating and decoding data like never before and LSG’s access to such information can be a game changer. There has to be a support grid led by the State that helps making this information relevant and usable for LSGs. It could be considered whether a separate technical wing can be set up in KILA, replete with AI tools to facilitate all the LSGs of the State by accessing, interpreting and demystifying data for undertaking this agenda. There has to be a strategy of constant engagement with communities to ensure they stay connected with climate imperatives, which could also be ably anchored by KILA.
- There has to be a systemic integration of the climate agenda into the functioning of the LSG. This will become sustainable only if outcome based planning and implementation become central to the local governance paradigm. There have to be community-oriented professionals who can undertake the role of facilitating climate adaptation needs, possibilities and challenges. This would necessitate the augmentation of the planning wing of the LSGD beyond the districts and ULBs.
- It is necessary to and hold Special Action Plan formulation in climate resilience and its execution at the LSGs in climate resilience. It is also possible to have a certain percentage of grants linked to objective assessment of performance, so as to continue climate resilience efforts at the local level.
Working Paper is available at https://csesindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Working-Paper_33.pdf
For further details: Dr. Rakkee Thimothy (9873101227), Fellow, CSES Kochi