L-R Dr. Vishal Garg (Professor, IIIT Hyderabad), Ms. Prerana Langa (CEO, AHAH India), Mr. V Krishna, IFS (Additional Commissioner, GHMC)
January 2022, Hyderabad: Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) India in partnership with the International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) conducted a workshop on Urban Heat Island (UHI) studies done in Hyderabad on Thursday. It was conducted to explore opportunities for implementation of mitigation measures in alignment with draft Cool Roof Policy for Hyderabad in collaboration with government and non-governmental partners. Shri Arvind Kumar, Special Chief Secretary, MA&UD delivered a special message during the workshop. While addressing the gathering he said, the Telangana govt. was keen on taking forward cool roofs as a mitigation measure and the state will be a fore runner in cool roof implementation at a large scale. The state has already drafted a cool roof policy with a target to implement 100 sq km of cool roof area in Hyderabad and 300 sq km in Telangana state. As cities develop, more vegetation is lost, and surfaces are paved or covered with buildings. This change results in less shade and moisture therefore urban areas become warmer than their rural surroundings, a phenomenon known as the “urban heat island effect”. There is a large amount of heat released into the atmosphere as an effect of climate change, which is further catalysed by UHI (heat generated by human induced activities – unregulated development, air conditioners) making the environment unbearably warm & in a few cases fatal (humidity + UHI effects). The workshop aimed to disseminate the findings of two action-based research on measures to mitigate the health, environmental, and energy effects of UHI. The study by IIITH (Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad) conducted in summer of 2022 compared the temperatures of grey and freshly coated white roof (high reflective paint) yielding positive results in the form of maximum reduction in the indoor air for the white roof by 3.6°C, and over deck temperatures by 19.8°C, compared to the space with a grey roof. The on-spot measurements for roof surface temperature of a China mosaic roof were found to be similar to freshly coated cool roof. The workshop was attended by municipal corporation staff especially the PWD who got to understand UHI phenomenon, its harmful impacts in the city and discussed mitigation action for reducing the hotspots through building and nature-based solutions. Mr. V Krishna IFS, Additional Commissioner, GHMC also attended the workshop and discussed about Greening Hyderabad with parks and Miyawaki forests under the green policy of the Telangana government. The interactive workshop was designed to support ideas and understand opportunities and challenges in urban heat island mitigation. Several experiments have been conducted in the last 15 years to understand the impact of cool roofs in reducing temperatures and reducing AC energy use. Cool roofs is a simple and traditional technique which can improve the thermal conditions inside unconditioned buildings which do not have access to mechanical cooling such as low income housing, primary health centers, hospitals and schools. Dr. Vishal Garg (Professor, IIIT Hyderabad) emphasized that with the predictions from various sources, in cities the heat events could get more frequent and much longer in the future, beyond the human survival limit. There is an urgent need to take up mitigation measures for UHI. Commenting on the workshop Ms. Prerana Langa, CEO, Aga Khan Agency for Habitat India said, “The harsh reality of climate change is manifesting itself in real time in the form of extreme weather events, shifting seasonal patterns, rising sea level rises, and an increase in average surface temperature. Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) India, in collaboration with IIIT Hyderabad, conducted a pioneering study using ‘satellite and real-time imagery’ to identify measures to mitigate the risks of Urban Heat Island (UHI), with the goal of ‘building’ climate-conscious cities. This consultation, I am confident, will yield fruitful results and lay the groundwork for future development of strategies to decrease scorching temperatures and achieve thermal comfort in real-time scenarios”.

Telangana state drafted a cool roof policy with a target to implement 100 sq km of cool roof area in Hyderabad and 300 sq km in Telangana state: Shri Arvind Kumar, Special Chief Secretary, MA&UD

Elets eGov
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Hitesh Vaidya, Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs brings to light GoI and NIUA’s policy implementation initiatives to achieve SDG 6.4 which entails that by 2030, mandated countries will substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity. Water use efficiency is key to addressing the issue of water security. The concept of Reduce
Reuse and Recycle can majorly help solve the problem. Besides producing the benefits of conservation of supplies, optimisation of water use can result in a host of environmental, public health, and economic benefits. It will help improve water quality, maintain aquatic ecosystems, and protect drinking water resources. A two-pronged approach is vital for improving water use efficiency. Firstly, water productivity needs to be increased (i.e, the value of output compared to the quantity of water consumed in agricultural and highly industrialised economies). Secondly, water losses need to be reduced, for example, by tackling leakages in municipal distribution networks and optimising industrial and energy cooling processes. The UN figures indicate, approximately 57 percent of countries registered a water use efficiency equivalent to 20 USD/m3 or less in 2019, compared to 58 percent in 2015¹. While more than half of Asia has showcased the highest growth rates, Latin America and the Caribbean show a decrease in water use efficiency. In the Indian context, the overall water use efficiency (across all sectors- Agriculture, Industries and Services) has improved from 2.45/ USD m3 in 2015 to 3.12/USD m3 in 2019². However, Water Use Efficiency in the Agricultural sector in India is only 38%³. A lot needs to be improved further. The knowledge of the efficiency and sustainability and the conscious use of water is paramount to ensure that it is available in abundance for future generations. With the rapidly growing population, the demand for water (for domestic, agriculture, industrial and municipal use) is constantly escalating too. As per UN World Water Development Report 2019, the global annual water consumption has been increasing by approximately 1% since the 1980s⁴. If the scenario persists, there will be up to 30% increase in water use by 2050. Accordingly, the total water requirement of India for various activities around the year 2050 has been assessed to 1450 km3/yr. This is significantly more than the current estimate of utilisable water resource potential (1122 km3/yr) through conventional development strategies. Water scarcity is looming large. We can prevent this scenario by adopting sustainable and integrated practices across various sectors. Therefore, embracing water efficiency measures is necessary to meet the increasing demand for water. There are several policy measures taken by the central government to address water use efficiency. Starting with the National Water Policy (2012) that has a section devoted to water demand management and water use efficiency. Similarly, the National Water Mission emphasises improving water use efficiency by 20% as a climate change adaptation strategy. NITI Aayog in its ‘Selected Best Practices in Water Management’ report of 2017, has highlighted various measures undertaken in India to increase Water Use Efficiency⁵. From restoration and maintenance of water resources as a continual process and involvement of local people and training them to manage their resources, to increasing the storage capacity of tanks and other water bodies, conjunctive use of ground and surface water and establishment of integrated irrigation system that comprises of canal systems, micro irrigation facilities and a network that even handles the problems of salinity, soil moisture, drainage etc. The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), through its Water and Environment Vertical, has been pushing the agenda for Water Use Efficiency through research, capacity building, and advocacy. Some of the work undertaken in this area, which is aligned with the target 6.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals are:
The Urban River Management Plan URMP) framework designed by NIUA is a holistic approach for sustainable management of rivers and their associated elements in a city. One of the thrust areas of the URMP is to look at reuse of treated wastewater to reduce the need for fresh water sources. Cities like Kanpur, Aurangabad, and Moradabad have adopted this effectively in their URMPs. Recommendations are being made for city Master Plans to enhance water reuse efficiency. For example, the draft Master Plan for Delhi (2041) advocates an integrated urban water management approach for the city that makes judicious and efficient use of all water resources available. This is through a mix of incentives (e.g. subsidies for reduced use of water) and regulatory measures (e.g. mandatory provisions for reuse of treated wastewater). Adequate and sustainable supply of fresh water in the communities, is one of the parameters being considered under the Participatory and Inclusive Water Sensitive Urban Design for Sustainability and Resilience project, while promulgating water-sensitive communities in Delhi. Adopting sustainable and smart water management practices NOW will avert the water-starved scenario and help us build a water-secure future for the generations to come.

Improving Water Productivity and Reducing Water Losses: Key to India’s Water security

Elets eGov
With over 1.37 billion people and one-sixth of the world’s population, India has a significant role to play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6.2, which focuses on sanitation and hygiene for all. It discusses not only the provision of basic infrastructure, but also the use of safely managed sanitation services, such as a hand-washing facility with soap and water. In this article, Hitesh Vaidya, Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) brings to light the aforementioned subject and government’s efforts to achieve SDG 6.2. India has made a commitment to provide its people with clean water and sanitation.Post-1960, India began to make progress on clean water and sanitation issues, with
hygiene education as the primary goal. The sheer size and diversity of India’s population make policy implementation difficult. Water, sanitation, health, and hygiene policies and sectors must be well-coordinated and managed holistically. To attain better WASH outcomes, a synergy must be developed and strengthened among diverse stakeholders, including state, district, city governments, academia, private sector, and CSOs. Government has been considering urban sanitation policies with the goal of transforming all urban areas into community-driven, completely sanitised, healthy, and liveable cities. Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban, the most ambitious mission of the Government of India that directly contributes to SDG 6.2, was launched in 2014 for 100 per cent ODF cities and achieving 100 per cent scientific management of solid waste in all towns in the country, which led the country with more than 98 per cent of households having access to toilets. The primary goals of the SBM are the abolition of open defecation, the abolition of manual scavenging, behavioural change on healthy sanitation practices, capacity building of local governments, and the creation of an enabling environment for public sector participation in capital expenditure and O&M expenditure. The Mission allows state governments to adopt a state- specific implementation policy, including the use of funds and mechanisms. The programme has built over 100 million household toilets and established over 700 open defecation-free districts across India. More than 62 lakh (6.2 million) individual household toilets and more than 6 lakh community/public toilets have been built in urban India, exceeding the targets. Beyond the ODF targets set in Phase I of the SBM-U, the focus in the next phase is on achieving ODF + (aimed at sustaining and maintaining the toilets built) and ODF + + (emphasising sludge and septage management), with 2,187 cities (49%) achieving ODF+ status and 551 cities (12%) achieving ODF ++ status. In India, the WASH sector has undergone massive transformations to improve people’s quality of life. The mass media campaigns and communication activities through advanced technology, modern advanced communication strategies, national-level campaigns, school involvement in awareness, integration of WASH curriculum in schools, and grassroots-level communication have contributed to the program’s success; however, the sustainability of these sanitation interventions for long-term health benefits is critical. Improving sanitation infrastructure in schools is one component of a successful sanitation strategy in India. Providing separate toilets for boys and girls has a significant impact on both genders’ attendance and educational outcomes. The Supreme Court of India ruled in 2014 that separate toilets for girls and boys, as well as drinking water facilities in schools, were essential to the legal right to education. The court reaffirmed that the “norms and standards” mentioned in the Act’s text included access to drinking water and toilets. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has also developed a mechanism through which corporate entities wishing to invest in improving school sanitation with CSR funds can be assigned responsibility for specific schools. Sanitation advancements have had a positive impact on the lives and health of women and girls. An increase in the proportion of households with toilets has been found to improve women’s safety. A study conducted by UNICEF, BMGF in 2020 found that improved sanitation improved the safety of women from sexual violence and animal harm. NIUA’s Approach for Capacity Building on Water and Sanitation
An equally important aspect that should be prioritised at the central and ULB levels is the effective use of technology during any programme implementation. The programme’s execution should be monitored and evaluated; for example, in SBM-U, it was monitored using a web-based e-Governance solution. The SBM-U provides up-to-date information of the beneficiaries and the status of their household toilet facilities. The database served as the foundation for all stakeholders to monitor and evaluate progress in an efficient, effective, and transparent manner. By engaging citizens, disseminating information, organising and managing all field level activities, social media and digital technologies can also been used creatively in creating a mass movement. Water and sanitation infrastructure must be viewed through the lens of climate change, particularly the urban areas which are prone to extreme weather events such as flooding. Failure to achieve climate change resilience in water supply and sanitation will have serious
consequences for public health. Long-term financing and planning is essential to maintain the infrastructure built and to sustain the benefits achieved. NIUA is supporting the cities to localise SDG 6.2 through its five pronged approach (1) Contextual Research, (2) Training and Capacity Building, (3) Peer to Peer Learning, (4) Knowledge Management and (5) Collaborations, Partnership and Network. Sanitation Capacity Building Platform (SCBP) is an initiative of the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) for addressing urban sanitation challenges in India and it is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant. It is aimed at promoting non-sewered sanitation solutions for septage and wastewater management in India. The Platform is an organic and growing collaboration of credible national and international organisations, universities, training and resource centres, non-governmental organisations, academia, consultants and experts. SCBP works in close collaboration with the National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (NFSSM) Alliance. The Platform lends support to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India, by focusing on urban sanitation and supporting states and cities to move beyond the open defecation free (ODF) status by addressing safe disposal and treatment of faecal sludge and septage. NIUA is nudging states and cities through its centre Dedicated Establishment for Water and Sanitation (DEWS) to catalyse progressive action in the water and sanitation sector through the adoption of improved water and waste (both solid and liquid) management solutions. The core objective of the centre is to strengthen the policy interface, create innovative guidelines, networking and plug capacity building in the water and waste management sector. NIUA is devoted to assisting states and cities in aligning with the SDGs and initiating a conversation for future orientations in India’s urban sanitation sector through substantial research, policy advisory, data solutions, technology, and capacity building. TAGS

SAFE Sanitation for ALL

Elets eGov
By
Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)
One of the most significant demographic developments of our time is urbanisation. Globally, around 4.2 billion people live in the cities without sufficient access to sanitation facilities, including safe disposal of waste. Despite numerous efforts made under different urban sanitation programmes, a lot of work is still required in order to achieve 100 per cent coverage of sanitation facilities. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.2 sets the target ‘to achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations by 2030’. The Government of India has undertaken various initiatives in order to achieve this target. The Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban, which calls for cities to be ‘open defecation free’, contributes directly towards achieving the target under SDG 6.2. The recent shift in the sanitation sector from rural to urban has helped cities in improving their health and economy. In fact it is quite evident that safe drinking water and sanitation systems are the key to ensure long-term sustainability of cities. This edition on SDG 6.2 – Sanitation and Hygiene- is a compilation of seven uniquely articulated articles, related to the theme of urban sanitation and hygiene. The prime objective of this edition of the magazine is to capture and disseminate the perspective of experts, on different aspects of sanitation and hygiene relevant for Indian cities. This edition covers specific challenges, including sanitation for all, open defecation free cities, gender and sanitation and sanitation for vulnerable groups. In order to ensure a comprehensive outlook towards these challenges, this edition focuses on four different areas of SDG 6.2, which include ‘Practice Oriented Policy’, ‘Inclusivity’, ‘Data & Technology’ and ‘Capacity Building’. NIUA is committed to help Indian cities in improving their performance against each of the SDG Indicators. In addition to relying on our internal resources to do so, we partner with media houses, academic institutions and other government and non-government organisations, for research, capacity-building and advocacy outcomes. The collaboration of NIUA and eGov Magazine is a demonstration of the same. To come up with this special edition, teams at NIUA and eGov have enthusiastically worked together, to collate a diverse range of knowledge-base on the cross- cutting themes of urban sanitation and hygiene in India. My sincere thanks to all the authors who have contributed to this special edition and shared their knowledge to make this possible. TAGS

SDG 6.2—Sanitation and Hygiene

Elets eGov
Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)
The World Environment Day, celebrated on 5th June, is the largest global platform for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of the environment. This year the World Environment Day 2022 theme is – ONLY ONE EARTH, with the focus on “Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature”. It includes the urgent need for actions towards a healthy planet and prosperity for all, achieving a sustainable and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and accelerating the implementation of the environmental dimension of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Also, the World Environment Day 2022 is a historic milestone for global communities as it commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Stockholm Conference (1972). At a global level, India has announced to reach net-zero emissions by 2070 at the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow. India is at the front in addressing climate actions and has adopted a multifaceted strategy to address climate instability and achieve the SDGs. The country has been ranked as a high performer in the Climate Change Performance Index 2020 on account of low levels of per capita emissions and energy use. Under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the UNFCCC, India’s climate action strategies emphasise clean and efficient energy systems, resilient urban infrastructure, and planned eco-restoration among others. Indian cities are highly exposed to climate risks and are critical sites of climate action. In India, the challenges of climate change and sustainable development are particularly critical. By 2050, 53 per cent of India’s population will be living in urban areas. There are cities which are experiencing an increase in extreme rainfall and exacerbated flood risk, precipitation decline, droughts, heatwaves, the spread of vector-borne diseases, and heat-related deaths. Owing to the climate-related risks and vulnerabilities, urban local bodies (ULBs) have led to a focus on identifying and implementing climate change adaptation in cities. Many Indian cities such as Mumbai, Coimbatore, Rajkot, Siliguri, and Udaipur are developing climate action plans to adapt to increasing risks such as flooding and heat waves and to mitigate greenhouse emissions. While the country is on track with regard to policy interventions, there is a growing need for developing solutions based on a sound understanding of sustainable development. This issue is a compilation of six articles and an interview to mark World Environment Day, and accelerate actions towards achieving environment-related SDGs by 2030. The Sustainable Development Goals are integrated and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social, and environmental). The interlinkages and integrated nature of the SDGs are of crucial importance in ensuring that the purpose of the New Urban Agenda and combating climate is realised. NIUA is committed to contributing to Indian cities perform better. To achieve this objective, along with our own resources, we partner with media, industry, academia and other government and non- government organisations (NGOs) for effective research, capacity-building, and advocacy outcomes. The collaboration of the NIUA and eGov magazine is a demonstration of the same. Teams at NIUA and eGov magazine have enthusiastically worked to collate a diverse range of knowledge-base on the cross- cutting issues of climate change, technology and SDGs in India for this special issue. My sincere thanks to all the authors who have contributed to this special issue and shared their knowledge to make this issue possible. TAGS

World Environment Day 2022

The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

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This partnership between NIUA and World Economic Forum is an important step towards that direction , '' said Kunal Kumar , joint secretary and Mission Director , Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs .

WEF and India#39;s NIUA to collaborate on sustainable cities development programme

National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), founded in 1976, is an institute for research, training, and information dissemination in urban development and management. It is based in New Delhi, India.

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