Forum

         Colloquium on Climate Smart Cities
August 28, 2013, Bangalore, India

Climate Change is an emerging critical issue at the national and international levels that requires immediate policy intervention and program action. Several studies show a rise in global average surface temperature and rapid variations in the frequency and intensity of rainfall. Unplanned and unsustainable urbanisation is adding to the already persistent problems of environment and natural resources management. India had the second highest urban population in the world in 2012 and will be amongst the fastest growing urban population globally between 2013 and 2020. Unplanned urbanisation has led to an increase in the number of squatter, slums and illegal settlements in urban centres. This has led to an increase in pressure on the already over stressed resource management systems, and aggravates the problems of pollution and health management. The city planners and governors/governance are yet to equip and plan for disaster preparedness to face the eventualities due to climate change. 

Public Affairs Centre and Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) are organising a one-day colloquium on “Climate Smart Cities” on August 28, 2013 to explore how cities can adapt better towards the changing climate and how the citizens can play a constructive role in this process.

Colloquium Themes

Climate change vulnerability and sustainable development

A majority of the cities that play home to a vast population are located along the coast and are  vulnerable to sea level rise, storm surges, floods, extreme events and droughts. Mapping the areas of the city to identify their vulnerability is the fundamental step in understanding how to improve the resilience of a city. Climate responsive to urban planning and sustainable development can help in a big way in reducing damages caused due to climate change. Papers presented under this theme will focus on aspects related to climate change and vulnerability such as:

• vulnerability mapping
• spatial planning
• infrastructure planning
• disaster risk reduction and
• sustainable resource management

Climate Change and proactive adaptation

Cities should adapt to both long-term trends associated with climate change (e.g. sea level rise) and to extreme events such as flooding. Everyone has a role to play in this adaptation be it the policy makers, the administration, the research bodies or the community members. This session will bring in ideas, best practices, case studies and different types of approaches towards:

• community based adaptation
• ecosystem based adaptation

Climate change mitigation

Cities are an important contributor to global warming. However, they can play a significant role in mitigating climate change. They can reduce energy consumption, promote renewable sources of energy, reduce their carbon and water footprint. This session will introduce to ideas on how an urban system can collectively respond to the phenomenon global warming and climate change.

Registration

Download registration form and mail to colloquium@pacindia.org by July 20, 2013.

Registration is free

Abstract submission

Abstract should be about 500 words in .doc/ .docx format. Every registration is eligible for only one abstract submission. Abstracts will be reviewed based on

• Relevance
• Content
• Policy recommendations

All authors will be informed via an email about the review decision by July 25, 2013.

Paper Submission and Presentations

Authors whose abstract is selected are expected to submit a full paper by August 20, 2013. The paper should not exceed 5000 words, with a maximum of 2-3 figures or tables and select references to be included as part of colloquium proceedings. The submission can also be an excerpt from recently published original work of the author/s. The paper has to be presented at the Colloquium in Bangalore.

Financial support

Limited financial support is available for presenters. Please contact the organisers for further information.

For more information contact Ms. Prarthana Rao (0 98453 94844) or Ms. Anantha Lakshmi P. (0 96200 55449) or send an email to  colloquium@pacindia.org

Important Dates

July 15: Last date for registration and submission  of abstracts
July 25: Notification for selected abstracts
August 20: Last date for submission  of Full papers
August 28: Colloquium in Bangalore

                                                 Public Affairs Centre (PAC)

 Public Affairs Centre (PAC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization based in Bangalore, India and is dedicated to promoting good governance since 1994 through research, advocacy and action. Over the years PAC has developed various tools like Citizen Report Cards, Community Score Cards (CSC), Social Audit Toolkits and more to empower citizens in India and around the world. 

In 2010, PAC established a group on Environmental Governance with a vision to improve the quality of life of the poor and marginalized sections of the communities in the environmentally affected areas of India. For the past three years, the group has been working with marginalized and highly vulnerable communities in coastal Tamil Nadu and highlands of Waynad in Kerala. PAC has also taken the lead in developing an interactive virtual forum on environment and climate – Know Your Climate. For more information visit http://pacindia.org

            Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) 

CSTEP is a ‘not for profit’ research organisation incorporated with a vision to enrich the nation with technology-enabled policy options for equitable growth. CSTEP has grown to become a multi-disciplinary policy research organisation in the areas of Energy, Infrastructure, Materials and Security Studies. For more information visit http://www.cstep.in/

Registration form.docx