INTENT:

The inhabitants of informal settlements especially in the developing world face enormous challenges due to the penury of basic services.  These challenges are increasingly exacerbated by the impacts of climate change and natural hazards. The already vulnerable communities, when exposed to impacts of landslides, extreme rainfall events, sea level rise, flooding and other hazards, are subjected to even greater risks. It is imperative to understand the vulnerability of the inhabitants to climate change and develop resilience in the informal settlements.

Course Objectives:

Assessing risk can be made an integral part of urban planning and decision making by streamlining data acquisition and management into an integrated system that can not only be updated and monitored easily, but also be accessible to all stakeholders involved in city management. There has to a flexible and dynamic approach to build resilience that is a step ahead of risk mitigation measures.

The collection and sharing of hazard-related information will benefit emerging programs in the four phases of risk management (risk reduction, preparedness, response, and recovery) and the formulation of programs to adapt to health risks and climate change.

The objective of the course would be knowledge and skill building that will enable the students to use design as a medium for adaptation strategies.

Course Modules:

Module 1: Introduction to climate change, urban environment and climate risks

This modules aims to introduce the concept of climate change phenomena in the Indian context, rapid urbanization and their repercussions, concepts of hazards and climate risks

Module 2: Introduction to climate change policies (NAPCC, UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol), Impacts of Climate Change on cities and the Urban Poor

This module introduces India’s national action plan on Climate Change and deals with the impact of climate change related to urban poverty and informal settlements in the city.

Module 3: Risk identification, Assessment methods and Principles of Building Urban Resilience

This module deals with identification of climate risks within informal settlements in the city, methods for assessment and developing tools for building resilience within the vulnerable communities.

Module 4: Risk Identification through Case Studies

This module deals with collection of empirical data from selected sites impacted with multiple or cascading risks, engaging with the community to gauge the impact.

Module 5: Data Gathering, Mapping, assessing and evaluating risks

• Introduction to Open Data Kit for android based mobile data collection
• Collecting hazard data from site
• Downloading data and visualizing in QGIS
• Geo referencing existing land use maps, development plans and historical maps
• Terrain analysis using remote sensing techniques in QGIS

Module 6: Adaptation strategies through risk based urban planning as well as urban infrastructure upgradation

This module deals with stakeholder and community participation to help build adaptive strategies. Key findings will be incorporated in developing a risk based land use plan.

To be developed after analysis of consequences of hazards that would be applied in the studio. The students would be welcome to implement their findings in their studio work

Lecture Schedule:

Week 1:

• Introduction to climate change, urban environment and adaptation
• Introduction to vulnerability , hazards and disaster risks
• Vulnerability to climate change

Definition of key terms, Rural to Urban development, Climate Change, Climate Risks

Week 2:

• Climate change policies, NAPCC
• Climate Change Impacts on Cities,
• Informal settlements, urban poor and vulnerable groups
• Impacts related to Urban Poverty and  
  Informal Settlements

Looking at various informal settlements in the city and understanding the multiple or cascading risks prevalent in various sites.

Week 3:

• Risk, uncertainty and complexity
• Disaster Risk management and Opportunities for Resilience

Development of risk management framework consisting of mitigation, preparedness, disaster, response, recovery and reconstruction phases.

Week 4:

• Social Resilience
• Land Use Planning
• Urban Upgrading
• Incorporating Resilience Into the Project Cycle

Learning the principles of building resilience. Developing tools for building resilience with respect to the site context.

Week 5-6:

• Selection of sites
• Site visit for survey based on suitable sampling methods
• Empirical data gathering

Establishing methodology for climate risk assessment based on site context.

GIS Module

• Introduction to Open Data Kit for android based mobile data collection
• Collecting hazard data from site

Week 7-8: GIS Module

• Downloading data and visualizing in QGIS
• Geo referencing existing land use maps, development plans and historical maps
• Terrain analysis using remote sensing techniques in QGIS

Preparation of risks maps. Preparation of risk map indicating extent and magnitude of risk;

Exploring planning tools to build resilience.

Week 9: Studio Work

Analysis of Social, Infrastructural, Economic and Institutional resilience.  Addressing the gap between risk reduction, urban planning and housing.

Exploring community and stakeholder participation to develop adaptive strategies.

Week 10: Studio Work

Analysis of Social, Infrastructural, Economic and Institutional resilience.  Addressing the gap between risk reduction, urban planning and housing.

Exploring community and stakeholder participation to develop adaptive strategies.