india urban lab building long term resilience for bangalore 11 th november 2015 bangalore lab india...

INDIA URBAN LAB BUILDING LONG TERM RESILIENCE FOR BANGALORE 11TH NOVEMBER 2015

BANGALORE LAB

INDIA URBAN LAB 2015

Building Long term Resilience for Bangalore

Projecting Development Scenarios through Participatory Planning to Address Contemporary Urban India Challenges

To establish the primacy of Natural Systems in Urban Development Scenarios

[email protected]/indiaurbanlab

mailto:[email protected]


Background Why Informal Settlements and Natural Systems? Method/ Approach Actors Process Workshop Proposals Way Forward

CONTENT


BACKGROUNDBangalore Challenge

“Examining the convergence of challenges of Natural Resources and Informal Settlements

in the Urban Context”

How can natural systems be brought back into the public realm, such that the functional capabilities and values of these larger natural systems in building resilience, is not compromised but reinforced ?

Geography

Tank/ Lake Systems

Development

Informal Settlements


BACKGROUND

Topography Valley Systems Drainage Pattern

Understanding the Natural SystemsDivided by a Central Ridge that runs North- SouthWestern Region topographically more variable than the Eastern Region

Bangalore has three main valley systems; Hebbal, Koramangala – Challaghatta and Vrishabhavati. The man-made tanks form a chain of reservoirs in each of the three valley systems.

Valley at the ridge gives birth to small streams, which cascade down to form major stream systems in the three valleys. The valleys are thus the repository of all the tanks in Bangalore, which are interlinked through a series of tanks and valleys.


WHY Informal Settlements & Natural Systems ?

The locations of informal settlements are least desirable from the habitat point of view – low lying areas susceptible to inundation, abandoned quarry pits, tank beds, along railway lines, near cemeteries, slaughter houses, etc.

According to a project report prepared for the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board, a third of the slums in the city are located in environmentally sensitive areas, where water stagnation cause mosquitoes to breed and apart from other health hazards.

In many cases the community depends directly and/or indirectly on the natural systems, tanks, drains/nullah, etc., associated with their habitats.

Nearly 90% of all dwellings in these settlements are of a temporary / semi-permanent nature.


METHOD/ APPROACH

I. To develop a process that addresseswater security at local/ward level

II. To advance the process of decentralization to include management of and access to water

III. To propose intervention strategies addresses access to resources and livelihood

IV. To evolve a model applicable to similar cases.

Objectives Phase I

Phase II

Local experts and partners prepared background research on the themes identified:

To understand the intrinsic role of topography and watersheds in the Bangalore region. To document the role of existing drainage within the city and establish conflicts. To study lake systems in the city and its relationship with existing land use patterns. Provide a platform for engagement of various stakeholders focusing on the public realm with the understanding that water is a commons resource that is to be managed, owned and used in a responsible manner Identify actionable zones at the city and at the ward level based on natural parameters, to effectively demonstrate water management strategies at a micro scale

Based on the demonstration case sites identified in the First phase by the team of local experts, an intensive, hands-on lab was organized.

Lectures from experts in the field and other key stakeholders; followed by working session on pilot case of Bangalore at city level and at informal settlements level (two cases studies); which was presented at a public event concluded with recommendation and intervention strategies.

PHASE I: Pre- Workshop PHASE II: Workshop Post Workshop Way forward


NGOs working with the Communities

CommunitiesExperts/ Professionals

Research Institutes Government Departments

ACTORS Involved

From;

I. Integrated Design (INDE’)II. International Federation for

Housing and Planning (IFHP)

III. ArghyamIV. Jindal School of Government

and Public PolicyV. MAPUNITYVI. Feedback ConsultingVII. Azim Premji UniversityVIII. World Resource Institute

(WRI)- EmbarqIX. Biome EnvironmentalX. Selco FoundationXI. Hindustan Aeronautical

Limited

I. Indian Institute of Human Settlement (IIHS)

I. Karnataka Kolageri Nivasigala Samyukta Sanghatane (KKNSS)

II. Association for Voluntary Action and Service (AVAS)

I. Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB)

II. Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)

I. Residents of Mahalakshmi Layout Further Extension

II. Residents of Sanyasi Kunte

As Participants of Workshop, as Experts, and as Panelists


PROCESS

Pre Workshop Brainstorming

Discussions with NGOs & Community Representatives

Site Visit & Reconnaissance

Workshop Structure & Identifying Representative Case Sites

From over 150 sites identified through research, sites visits to few shortlisted locations were made. This was to examine on-ground realities and thereby identify the most viable cases that are representative of the many informal settlements, along valley systems and water systems in Bangalore.

Working closely with the associated NGO’s, the partners/ experts identified two sites that illustrated Bangalore’s challenge. It was also evident and inevitable through the research, that there is a need to examine the water systems at its regional scale to decipher the linkages that cut across scales.

The non-recognition and poor integration of the natural systems in conventional planning framework and policies as a valued component has allowed accelerated degradation of these ecological and environmental structural systems that host natural resources and services.

Hence along with the case sites chosen, the city’s policy framework was decided to be the third area of focus.


Mahalakshmi Layout Further Extension

THE TWO CASE SITES

0 4 8km6

Sanyasi Kunte, Gavipuram

CASE SITE 1

CASE SITE 2

GREEN OPEN SPACESROADSSITE

LEGEND

CANAL


WORKSHOP : An Overview

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 55th October 6th October 7th October 8th October 9th October

INTRODUCTION & ORIENTATION

SITE VISIT WORKING SESSIONSLectures & Discussions Brainstorming

PUBLIC PRESENTATION

FINALIZING PROPOSALS & OUTCOMES

Introductory presentations by the experts from IFHP and the Bangalore Lab Partner, Integrated Design to give an overview of the Lab objectives, scope, framework, and case sites chosen

Site Visit to both case sites for on-site Studies

Interaction with the resident communities

Intensive discussions, galvanized by debates, lectures and perspective sessions from expertsTopics on which lectures were delivered:Census data interpretation & water statistics for Bangalore, earlier Water & Sanitation Programs in India, Issues & Management concerns in the institutional arrangements surrounding water supply & management, critical vulnerabilities of informal settlements, Policy & Administrative concerns surrounding Water Systems Management, Success stories in alternate methods of water management, Law & Legal arrangements, Policies & and schemes for informal settlements

Brainstorming on the convergence of all actors and institutions involved

Participants presented the studies & proposals at a moderated public presentation event

Eminent Panelists gave their feedback & offered new windows for better engagement

The specific context based intervention strategies for both the case sites was translated into scalable policy directives that can help resolve similar issues at site and area level, with the backing of a long term agenda of basing development plans across scales on a comprehensive manual of resource plan for the region.


PROPOSALS : Case Site 1


PROPOSALS : Case Site 2


PROPOSALS : Policy & Institutional Arrangements

Fragmented Understanding of Water Systems

Fragmented Institutional Responsibilities

Fragmented Planning

MAJOR ISSUE


Fragmented Understanding of Water Systems

Fragmented Institutional Responsibilities

Fragmented Planning

PROPOSALS : Policy & Institutional Arrangements

MAJOR ISSUE


WAY FORWARD

The Bangalore Lab can be taken forward in several ways: policy advocacy, evolving and detailing actionable strategies to empower community and their representatives to forge solutions to challenges / issues that they face and emerging action research, to name a few.

1. BROAD LEVEL POLICY MEASURES

2. ACTIONABLE STRATEGIES AT THE SETTLEMENT / COMMUNITY LEVEL

3. FURTHER RESEARCH & TESTING OF THE URBAN LAB (and its pedagogy) IN OTHER GEOGRAPHIES


WAY FORWARD

The BUL demonstrates the gap between the on ground / felt / experienced issues and challenges of urbanization and the corresponding policy responses, providing empirical evidence of congruence between low income / slum settlements and natural water networks like tanks and storm water drains.

Lack of recognition of the congruence in policies pertaining to natural systems and human settlements, which is evident in the fragmented organizational and institutional frameworks that govern water as well as informal settlements in Bangalore.

As a way forward, the BUL would collate policy briefs/ advocacy material that aims to bridge these gaps.

1. BROAD LEVEL POLICY MEASURES


WAY FORWARD

Proposes to articulate the outcomes / proposals (from the two working groups that engaged with Sanyasi Kunte and Mahalakshmi Layout) as site-level interventions. Objective is to enable communities and their representatives (i.e. AVAS and KKNSS respectively) to work with decision makers and implement short and long-term solutions to identified challenges.

As an immediate step;To connect the communities and their representatives with the decision makers in the water utility company (BWSSB) and the elected representatives.

The team at Integrated Design will be willing to work with the actors to evolve and detail out specific actionable strategies from the broad framework proposed in the Lab. In addition, the team will also be keen to hand-hold during the implementation process.

2. ACTIONABLE STRATEGIES AT THE SETTLEMENT / COMMUNITY LEVEL


WAY FORWARD

The Urban (Bangalore) Lab provided a platform to understand one thematic – the congruence between water systems and informal settlements. A logical step would be to take the lab forward to other geographies and test its effectiveness in identifying locally experienced challenges and finding solutions to these challenges from within the same context.

The team is now exploring possibilities of taking the lab to one or even two geographies. In addition to the focus on natural systems, given the team’s expertise and skills, we are also keen to explore how heritage resources can provision contemporary urban development.

In the past, Integrated Design has worked extensively in this space and is keen to explore this agenda in different geographies with various state and non-state stakeholders.

3. FURTHER RESEARCH & TESTING OF THE URBAN LAB (and its pedagogy) IN OTHER GEOGRAPHIES


THANK YOU

india urban lab building long term resilience for bangalore 11 th november 2015 bangalore lab india...

Documents