Training on "Reimagining the Built Environment: A Circular and Climate-resilient Approach"

The Sustainable Habitat Programme conducted an onsite training programme on “Reimagining the Built Environment: A Circular and Climate-resilient Approach” at the Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute (AAETI) from December 3–6, 2024. The training programme was attended by 21 participants, including architects, planners, academicians, researchers andmembers of civil society. It focused on key themes such as city-level heat assessment, heat vulnerability assessment at ward level, heat management in existing and upcoming urban areas, and the link between heat and circularity. The sessions were devised to quantitatively evaluate these challenges and propose sustainable strategies aimed at promoting circularity and climate resilience in urban areas.

The training program commenced with the big picture, wherein Mr. Rajneesh Sareen outlined the key challenges and contributors to heat in urban areas. He provided a detailed overview of urban challenges and their health impacts across various sectors, addressing areas such as waste, wastewater, housing, indoor environments, and extreme events like heatwaves, floods, and cyclones.This was followed by Ms. Mitashi Singh’s session delving into explaining India's strategies for addressing climate change. She discussed mitigative and adaptive measures across sectors like energy, urban development, mobility, air quality, water, and waste management. She also outlined national missions and current strategies. Following this, one of the participants Mr. Arvind Unni shared updates from COP29, which primarily focused on the financial aspects of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG). The session then transitioned to the city-level heat assessment. Dr. Nimish Gupta introduced participants to the potential of Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) in studying urban climates. He conducted a hands-on session to identify urban heat centres and explained methods for capturing various heat drivers.

The second day began with Dr. Nimish Gupta continuing with the next session on heat vulnerability assessment which aids in identifying the most vulnerable population. The lecture provided a comprehensive overview of heat vulnerability assessment at ward-level, elaborating on the three critical parameters - exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity - utilized in evaluating vulnerability. This was followed by Ms. Gargi Dwivedi elaborating on how quantitatively various mitigative strategies such as altering the roof materials (cool roof, green roof) and addition of trees in a neighbourhood can effectively improve the micro-climate by reducing heat gains. This was followed by a group exercise in which participants were provided with a neighbourhood plan of an urban area and asked to propose practical solutions for heat reduction. In addition, they were asked to identify areas near their workplace and propose heat mitigation strategies for those locations. The next lecture provided participants with detailed information on the indicators and sub-indicators used to estimate vulnerability at the ward level, along with the data sources for these parameters. Following the lecture, participants were asked to perform the vulnerability assessment themselves as a group exercise.Mr. Rajneesh Sareen later elaborated on the water-energy nexus, emphasizing the need to integrate strategies for water and energy management. He illustrated this concept with various examples and case studies to help participants understand the connection. The lecture also provided a detailed explanation of HVAC systems and the design optimizations needed to achieve these integrated strategies.

On the third day, participants presented and discussed their findings from the group exercise on proposing retrofitting measures for urban layouts in their locality. They proposed retrofitting measures for urban layouts in their respective localities.Post this, Mr. Rajneesh Sareen discussed the value-trade chain in Construction and Demolition waste managementand illustrated it with various case examples. This was followed by a lecture on Not-in-kind cooling technologies by Mr. Sugeet Grover, who discussed how micro-climatic improvements can be achieved through better design and materials, as well as the implementation of district cooling systems. He highlighted how these strategies can effectively reduce cooling load demand. Moreover, to provide a deeper understanding, he shared several relevant case studies showcasing the practical application of these technologies. The final classroom lecture for the day was on Renewable energy in urban interface, delivered by Mr. Rajneesh Sareen. The lecture covered potential areas where renewable energy can be integrated within urban settings, highlighting optimal locations for various applications.The day concluded with a tour of the AAETI campus, showcasing its sustainable features and their role in reducing environmental impact while contributing to climate resilience and resource circularity. The tour highlighted how the natural topography and soft landscaping, with extensive vegetation, are strategically used to reduce heat gains and facilitate wastewater treatment, among other benefits. Additional features, such as the three-stage cooling system, selection of materials and considerations related to building orientation, were also highlighted during the tour.

On the final day, Mr. Sugeet Grover guided participants on estimating the solar potential for upcoming urban areas, using a case example for illustration. This was followed by Dr. Nimish Gupta’s session on assessing the energy potential from agricultural biomass. After the lectures, participants were given a set of objectives as part of a group exercise: identifying heat-stressed zones and marking upcoming sites for interventions to minimize mechanical cooling loads; estimating solar potential for a city site; evaluating the energy potential from biomass; and identifying major sources of heat within and around the city, along with potential heat recovery systems for implementation.Each group then discussed their findings and presented their solutions on the assigned topics.

The training equipped participants with valuable insights into enhancing climate resilience and promoting resource circularity in urban areas. Participants' expectations were tracked throughout the training and addressed during the sessions. The participants provided positive feedback on the relevance and impact of the programme.