Training Programme on Heat and Haze: Climate and Clean Air Imperatives for Cities

TheSustainable Habitat team at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)organized a residential training programme on Heat and Haze: Climate and Clean Air Imperatives for Cities. The programme was held from May 13–16, 2025, at the Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute (AAETI), Tijara.

We had an excellent turnout of 22 participants, including urban practitioners, planners, and built environment professionals from CPWD, Town Planning Departments, and faculty members from esteemed academic institutions across India, to explore the critical links between urban heat islands, air pollution and construction dust, mobility emissions, and climate vulnerability.

The programme kick-started with an introduction to the dual challenge of heat and air pollution in cities, with an emphasis on rising vulnerabilities, setting the stage for discussions. Mr. Rajneesh Sareen led a session on exploring the crucial issues and opportunities for climate action. Following this, Ms. Mitashi Singh from CSE delved into climate-resilient cities, emphasizing policy levers and mainstreaming resilience. The subsequent sessions focused on imperatives for clean air in cities, providing an overview of clean air initiatives and follow-up action in the country. A session on Environmental Impact Assessment was conducted by Mr. Rajneesh Sareen, focusing on the air environment. The day concluded with a session on national clean air action and C&D Waste Rules 2025.

The second day commenced with Ms. Mitashi Singh highlighting clean air action in India, covering both national strategies and hyper-local interventions. She also steered discussions on greening the construction sector, focusing on C&D Waste Management Rules, recycling, and dust mitigation practices. Mr. Rajneesh Sareen addressed the role of Environmental Impact Assessment in construction projects and later unpacked the concept of low emission zones, exploring how they could be implemented in Indian cities. The day concluded with Dr. Nimish Gupta from CSE leading a session on heat vulnerability assessment in urban areas, which included an engaging group exercise where participants identified data sources and proposed interventions for various vulnerable populations.

The third day started with group presentations based on the previous day's exercise, after which Dr. Nimish Gupta explored the use of Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for mapping urban climates, including a hands-on session on identifying urban heat islands. Ms. Moushumi Mohanty from CSE, then addressed the topic of zero-emission vehicles, with a focus on EV battery policy, energy efficiency, and related challenges. The day wrapped up with Ms. Gargi Dwivedi from CSE guiding participants through strategies for mitigating urban heat at building and neighbourhood scales. Participants analysed a neighbourhood plan and proposed design-based solutions, while also exploring microclimate simulation techniques.

On the final day, Ms. Sayani Sen from CSE introduced the concept of a cooling master plan, integrating ideas on climate finance, followed by Mr. Sugeet Grover’s discussion on not-in-kind cooling technologies. The training concluded with participants presenting their group exercise findings, offering retrofit proposals to address heat stress across different urban layouts.

FOR MORE DETAILS, PLEASE CONTACT 

TRAINING COORDINATOR

Gargi Dwivedi,
Senior Research Associate
Sustainable Habitat Programme, CSE
Mobile: 8840349824
Email: gargi.dwivedi@cseindia.org 

Programme Director

Rajneesh Sareen
Sustainable Habitat Programme, CSE
Email: rajneesh.sareen@cseindia.org