Kochi once crisscrossed by a vibrant network of rivers, creeks, and canals now faces a stark reality encroachment, pollution, and stagnation have transformed its lifeline into a looming disaster. As rising sea levels, extreme rainfall, and tidal surges intensify the risk of devastating floods local authorities, with support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), have launched a bold initiative to revive the city’s waterways and fortify it against climate change.
The Thevara-Perandoor (TP) Canal 10-kilometer stretch that once provided transport water, and storm drainage chosen as the starting point for this ambitious restoration. Years of neglect and urbanization have shrunk its widthobstructed its flow and turned it into a dumping ground for untreated waste. Despite past proposals for revival a lack of public and political will stalled any real progress.
Through photo competitions student contests, and public exhibitions, the project is rekindling memories of when Kochi’s canals were clean, bustling with boats, and teeming with fish. Residents who once dismissed the idea of swimming in the canal are now daring to dream provided the waters are restored. Experts and community leaders are rallying around solutions, including reconnecting waterways, restoring natural banks, reducing pollution, and strategically planting trees to mitigate extreme heat.
The initiative also draws from UNEP’s innovative spatial planning tools, offering data-driven insights into urban restoration. Early interventions will focus on dredging, clearing blockages, and improving waste management. Later phases will tackle the complex challenge of reclaiming canal widths from encroachment.
Kochi’s struggle is not unique cities like Sirajganj in Bangladesh and Kisumu in Kenya are also working with UNEP to restore their waterways. But Kochi’s revival stands as a crucial test case, proving that it is never too late to reclaim lost ecosystems. With growing public awareness and political urgency, the city now has a chance to turn back the tide, making its canals not just a relic of the past but a blueprint for urban resilience in a changing world.