Residential Training Programme on The New Urban Agenda

Residential training programme on The New Urban Agenda, was organized by Sustainable Habitat team at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The programme took place from April 22 to 25, 2025, at the Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute (AAETI), Tijara. 

We had a great turnout with 25 participants, including representatives from municipal corporations in Madhya Pradesh, officials from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and faculty members from esteemed academic institutions such as the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) Delhi, Amity University Noida, and Jamia Millia Islamia. 

The training kicked off with an overview of climate vulnerability in India, setting the stage for the discussions. Mr. Rajneesh Sareen, led a session 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. Dr. Nimish Gupta from CSE subsequently conducted a session on heat vulnerability assessment in urban areas, which included an engaging group exercise where participants identified data sources and suggested interventions for various vulnerable populations. The first day wrapped up with a guided tour of AAETI, showcasing its impressive sustainable design features. 

The second day started with group presentations based on the previous day's exercise. Mr. Rajneesh Sareen then led a session connecting climate change and public health, highlighting the disproportionate impacts on different groups. Participants were introduced to not-in-kind cooling systems and the concept of a cooling master plan, along with relevant climate finance mechanisms. Later, Ms. Sayani Sen from CSE conducted a session on flood vulnerability assessment, which involved a hands-on exercise using a Flood Vulnerability Framework and GIS-based analysis. 

The third day featured a guest session by Dr. R Srinivas from the Institute of Urban Transport (IUT) on the importance of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) for clean air and sustainable urban growth. Dr. Nimish Gupta then 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. The day concluded with Ms. Gargi Dwivedi from CSE focusing on mitigating urban heat at the building and neighbourhood scales, with participants analyzing a neighbourhood plan and proposing solutions. They also had the opportunity to explore microclimate simulation techniques. 

On the final day, Mr. Ayan Ghosh, a GIS Engineer from the Government of West Bengal, led an interactive session on using drone technology for urban heat management and mapping. This included a live demonstration and a hands-on flying session with a nano drone. Mr. Ghosh also explained how drone-captured images are processed for urban planning purposes. The training concluded with participants presenting their group exercise findings, proposing retrofits to mitigate heat stress in different urban layouts.