CSE ties up with University of Mysore for research and capacity building on thermal comfort in Karnataka

Date: 17 March 2020

CSE's Habitat Programme has signed a MoU to extend the partnership with University of Mysore. The two institutions will conduct joint research and exchange knowledge to include sustainability content in the curriculum through requisite handholding and capacity building of the faculty and students.

University of Mysore’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. G. Hemantha Kumar, Prof. R. Shivappa (Registrar), Prof. Chidambra Swamy (Director, SPA) and Dr. H.S. Kumara and CSE's Mr. Rajneesh Sareen (Programme Director) and Ms. Mitashi Singh (Programme Officer) were present at the MoU signing ceremony held on 17 March 2020 in Mysuru. 

CSE will work with the university's School of Planning and Architecture on the ongoing state-wide housing research and advocacy on mainstreaming thermal comfort for all as guided by the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) 2019. ICAP urges state governments to implement housing that is thermally comfortable and less energy intensive in the wake of warming climate. This is possible by planning and designing climate-appropriate site layouts, building clusters, building envelope and materials. To get this done on the ground, states will require setting norms for spatial planning, clustering, orientation, shading, daylighting, etc. Such housing will improve liveability and health conditions of the inhabitants. 

The university will function as the regional resource centre for other architecture and planning institutions in Karnataka, which aims at dissemination of research and capacity building through meetings, expert roundtables and regional faculty development programmes co-organised by CSE and the University. 

With a 739-acre lush green campus, the university will be documented as a green campus case study from the moderate climate zone in India, as discussed with the VC. This will include compilation of good practices on energy, land, water and waste management in the campus. This case study compilation will help in identification of initiatives to make the campus even more sustainable. The case study and these initiatives will also become tools to demonstrate sustainability practices, values, ethics and lifestyle to the campus inhabitants and other colleges/universities across India.