Training Programme on Tools for Mainstreaming Blue Green Spaces and Infrastructures in Cities

Date: November 17-20, 2020
Venue: AAETI, Nimli, Rajasthan (India)

Cities are growing in size, space and economy. However, cities today are facing multiple challenges, emerging from an ever increasing demand for services, crumbling infrastructure and climate change. In this context, it is imperative to mainstream the concept and strategies of Green Infrastructure (GI) with Water Sensitive Urban Design and Planning (WSUDP).

However, despite numerous benefits of GI & WSUDP, its wider implementation faces a number of challenges, such as lack of awareness by decision-makers and rigid regulatory or funding policies that stipulate traditional grey approaches. Also, there is a need for agreed methodologies for cost-benefit analyses that would enable a full comparison of grey and blue-green spaces / infrastructure options.

CSE published India’s first Practitioner’s Guide(s) on Green Infrastructure and Water Sensitive Urban Design and Planning; including an Urban Water Sustainability Template in 2017, commissioned by the Central Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. The guides aim at mainstreaming reforms and capacity building of state / municipal functionaries and others involved in the advocacy for sustainable urban water management in India cities. Various global institutions have also developed tools and approaches in this direction to help cities and towns, and their regions, to be sustainable, resilient, productive, and liveable and water sensitive.

The School of Water and Waste (SW&W) is a capacity building initiative of CSE that aims to establish policy principles, innovative technologies, and implementation strategies for city wide water and sanitation management, which will lay the foundations for a water and waste-prudent society.

For this training, SW&W has partnered with two global institutions - University of Exeter, UK – Blue Health Project and Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC), Australia to offer a 4-day residential training programme. This training comprises 2.5 day classroom sessions including field exposure visits and 1.5 day knowledge conclave.

The training will also provide participants an opportunity during the 2-day knowledge to interact with key experts:- International Water Security Network (IWSN) – University of West England, Bristol, UK; Future Water Institute – University of Cape Town and Blue Green Dream Project – Imperial College London; also including national institution as well as Indian experts / institutions involved in advocacy for urban water and environmental sustainability.

About the training

The training focuses on roll out and testing of various tools with practitioners which help in mainstreaming the concept and strategies of WSUDP and GI.

Aim

The aim of the training is to create change-agents in the urban water management sector, who will have in-depth understanding of key tools and approaches for mainstreaming WSUDP and GI

Objectives:

• Overview of GI & WSUDP approach including Urban Sustainability Index developed by CSE
• Hands on experience and learning about
  • Water Sensitive Cities Index developed by CRCWSC
  • BlueHealth Tools: Behavioural Assessment Tool (BBAT), Environmental Assessment Tool (BEAT), Community Level Survey (BCLS)
• Understanding and state of art tools developed for in global south
• Roll out, test and contextualisation of the tools in local / regional context vis-à-vis upcoming policy, programmes and projects.
• Developing community of practice for pursuing further research and make them competent for sector related green jobs 

Training Design:

The training will follow a mix method approach comprising lectures, in-class exercises, interactive discussions and audio-video training support to benchmark a city’s current performance against seven goals of a water sensitive city.

Theme 1: Concepts of GI and WSUDP

Focus on the essential elements of GI and WSUDP with reference to latest innovations and guidance documents. There would be dedicated sessions providing overview of the aim, benefits and the components of WSUDP for any new developments and redevelopments

Theme 2: Tools for mainstreaming blue – green spaces and green infrastructures for making water sensitive cities

Exposure to tools and approaches for mainstreaming GI and WSUDP: Urban Water Sustainability Template, Water Sensitive Cities Index, BlueHealth Tools: Behavioural Assessment Tool (BBAT), Environmental Assessment Tool (BEAT), and Community Level Survey (BCLS).

Theme 3: Knowledge Conclave on Mainstreaming GI - Experience sharing

International and national experts deliberating on the teaching – learning material development, building long term research agenda aimed at scaling up GI and WSUD for sustainable urban water management.

Course Coordinators

Academic Director Dr. Suresh Kumar Rohilla Senior Director, CSE, Academic Director,  School of Water & Waste, AAETI Email: srohilla@cseindia.org

Shivali Jainer Programme Manager Water Programme +91-11-40616000 (Ext: 244) Email: shivali@cseindia.org