Introduction
Bhubaneswar and Surat face overlapping climate and road-safety risks. Bhubaneswar, in Odisha’s cyclone corridor, experiences extreme heatwaves, intense rainfall and deteriorating air quality. Surat, one of India’s fastest-growing cities, faces recurrent river and coastal flooding, severe heat stress and pollution linked to rapid industrialisation.
Under GIZ’s Sustainable Urban Mobility – Air Quality, Climate Action and Accessibility (SUM-ACA) programme, we combined GeoAI climate analytics with an iRAP road-safety assessment. The aim was to give both city authorities one evidence base for planning safer, climate-resilient roads and public spaces.
Project info
- Client: GIZ India
- Funder / programme: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), SUM-ACA programme
- Period: November 2024 – December 2025
- Location: Bhubaneswar, Odisha, and Surat, Gujarat, India
Scope
We assessed the climate risk profile of both cities, rated the safety of their major roads using the iRAP methodology, identified where climate hazards and unsafe roads coincide, and proposed nature-based and engineering measures. All findings were brought together in a geospatial dashboard on the city’s Bhubaneswar One platform, so that climate risk layers and road-safety Star Ratings can be used directly in planning and design.
Did You Know?
- Bhubaneswar experiences some of India’s highest summer heat indices, driven by extreme humidity and rising temperatures.
- Surat has a long history of monsoon flooding, with flood events repeatedly captured in multi-year Sentinel-1 SAR data.
Services Delivered
Climate Risk Mapping with GeoAI and Remote Sensing
We mapped heat stress, urban flooding, air pollution and wind hazards across both cities using satellite thermal data, multi-year Sentinel-1 radar flood records, elevation and drainage models, and climate projections under IPCC scenarios.
iRAP Road Safety Assessment
We carried out an iRAP assessment of the cities’ major roads, producing Star Ratings, identifying the main crash risk factors and preparing a Safer Roads Investment Plan of costed countermeasures.
Infrastructure Vulnerability Mapping
We combined climate and road-safety data to score the vulnerability of road networks, public buildings and high-footfall amenities, highlighting the locations that most need resilience upgrades.
Nature-Based Solutions
We identified nature-based solutions at network, zone and spot level to reduce heat, flooding and pollution while improving pedestrian and road safety, with an emphasis on native species, permeable surfaces and climate-adaptive street design.
Integrated Geospatial Dashboard
We built a dashboard that shows climate risks, iRAP Star Ratings and infrastructure vulnerability together, integrated into the Bhubaneswar One platform as a decision-support tool for planners.
Field Validation, Consultation and Training
Field surveys, validation exercises and consultations with city agencies tested the findings on the ground, and training sessions helped officials interpret and use climate and safety data in their work.
Results
- Climate risk assessments for both cities covering heat, flooding, air quality and wind, including river and coastal flood scenarios for Surat.
- iRAP Star Ratings for the cities’ major roads and a Safer Roads Investment Plan with prioritised, costed countermeasures.
- Priority locations where climate hazards and road-safety risks overlap, with recommended nature-based and engineering measures.
- An integrated report and action plan, and a geospatial dashboard on the Bhubaneswar One platform.
Work Illustration
The Surat flood maps show how river and coastal processes shape the city’s exposure. The river flood map simulates inundation depths during heavy rainfall and river overflow, showing how low-lying areas along the Tapi and its distributaries flood to different depths. The coastal map projects 100-year flood extents for the 2040s and 2080s under IPCC climate scenarios, showing how sea-level rise widens exposure across the south and west of the city. Together they help planners identify priority zones and plan long-term resilience measures.
