The Hindu 16.12.2010
“Urban poor, most vulnerable to current climate variability”
Special Correspondent
|
Sustainable and resilient cities should be focus of urban development |
— Photo: K. Ganesan.
INFORMATIVE:D.B. Raju (right), Executive Vice President, Larsen and
Toubro, presenting a souvenir to Karumuttu T.Kannan, Chairman and
Correspondent, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, in
MADURAI: An international conference here on Wednesday called for
making the Indian cities “resilient” in the backdrop of climate change
and taking care of the urban poor.
“The urban poor are the most vulnerable to current climate
variability such as regular floods and water shortage. Sustainable and
resilient cities should be the focus of urban development,” D.B. Raju,
executive vice-president (special initiatives), Larsen and Toubro,
Mumbai, said.
Setting the tone for a wider debate, he pointed out that cities could
be viewed as hubs of intensive resource demand, environmental
degradation and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Thiagarajar College of Engineering here, along with the
Operational Research Society of India (ORSI), Madurai Chapter, is
organising the three-day international conference on “Operational
Research for Urban and Rural Development” from December 15 to 17. Also,
the 43 {+r} {+d} annual convention of ORSI is taking place here.
Dr. Raju said that India is projected to witness a rapid demographic
transition as its urban population rises from 300 million to over 700
million by the year 2050. By 2025, about 70 Indian cities are expected
to have a population size of over one million.
“Mainstreaming climate resilience into urban development is essential
because climate risk is one of the factors defining poverty levels,
well-being, economic growth and development in an urban scenario,” he
observed.
Making a fervent appeal for “climate resilient urban planning,” the
L&T top official said that adequate focus had to be given to
climate-sensitive sectors. “Low carbon development as an urban planning
intervention has the potential to reduce energy utilisation. Green
buildings entail promotion of energy /water efficiency and land
sustainability,” he felt.
Dr. Raju expressed concern that Government investments for the
development of infrastructure and provision of basic services had not
been spatially balanced which led to high levels of inequity.
“Unplanned development in most of the fast growing urban centres of
India has affected the urban poor whose access to drinking water,
sanitation, education and basic health services is shrinking,” he
pointed out.
Referring to the huge rise in the number of motor vehicles in India,
he said that cities need to arrest their current pattern of
transportation growth to bring down their Co2 emissions.
Calling for a balanced development, he suggested that urban and rural areas were only partners in progress but not competitors.
Karumuttu T. Kannan, chairman and correspondent, Thiagarajar College
of Engineering, in his presidential address, said that operational
research had a lot to do in public life also.
“We are living with constrained resources — be it water, electricity
or pure air. Experts in operational research could come out with ideas
to deal with changing situations,” Mr. Kannan said.
V. Abhaikumar, Principal, TCE; V. Mohan, president, ORSI-Madurai
chapter; S.P. Nachiappan, secretary, and S. Krishnan, conference
chairman, were among those who spoke.
The conference has participation of delegates from various countries,
including Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, Italy, UK, Taiwan, France
and Canada.
