Course dates: July 13 to August 10, 2022
Deadline to apply – 01 July 2022
Total study load: 24 hours
Commitment: 6 hours per week

The cities of the countries of the South are growing and developing rapidly. Rapid and unplanned urban growth brings its own set of problems. Our freshwater sources are shrinking, cities are encroaching on them and polluting them as sewage is discharged into untreated water bodies and groundwater exploitation is rampant. Floods in Chennai and Mumbai and in parched cities like Cape Town and Dar E Salam in the recent past have been devastating to human life and property. Experts identify increased unplanned urban growth, gray infrastructure, and shrinking green space as major root causes for many of these issues.

Green infrastructure thus provides a new concept – a “smart” method for natural conservation and urban planning. Urban areas are at the forefront of a public health emergency as the world grapples with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic for the past two years. Interdisciplinary collaboration of public policy, urban planning and design using public open spaces, parks, urban forests and integrated blue and green infrastructure are needed as tools to make cities healthy. It is high time we realized that ecosystems are not a luxury but a necessity.

Increasing urban green infrastructure is seen as an effective approach to reducing the negative impact of urbanization on the hydrological cycle. They improve natural water systems in cities and mitigate peak storm flows that frequently cause flooding in our cities to help create more water-sensitive cities. Expanding urban green infrastructure interventions is not only a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach to addressing stormwater runoff and urban flooding, but can also improve the resilience and sustainability of cities.

CSE – School of Water and Waste returns with this online course for the third time in its series. The course aims to establish a basic practitioner orientation on GI and eventually create a community of practice that can successfully work to design and implement green infrastructure interventions in cities.

Objective:

To help practitioners, students, working professionals and environmental enthusiasts learn the cutting-edge concepts and principles of green infrastructure for better urban water management at their own pace and comfort.

Goals:

• Define and conceptualize green infrastructure for water resources management in urban areas
• Provide insight into current water infrastructure issues and assess challenges and opportunities for making cities climate-smart and resilient to climate change
• Understand the role of green infrastructure in sustainable urban water management
• Understand the IG approach and planning analysis strategies for different urban typologies
• Recognize the scope of gastrointestinal interventions based on different problem scenarios and contexts
• Understand and apply case studies supporting GI principles around the world

Theme 1: Introduction to green infrastructure for urban spaces
Theme 2: Understanding the Green Infrastructure Approach and Interventions
Theme 3: Stakeholder analysis and socio-economic benefits of green infrastructure
Theme 4: Best management practices and case studies on green infrastructure

Course work

The course includes self-study and technological learning tools such as presentations, videos featuring case studies from various countries, and other audio materials. It will facilitate interaction between participants through online forums and discussions. It will be interactive with several interesting evaluation exercises and quizzes. Attendees will also have the chance to interact and learn from CSE and overseas experts through online interactions and a webinar. Webinars are mandatory for all participants and will add up to 5 points to the overall final course grades.

This course can be used to fulfill Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements – please check with your local organization for specific rules and regulations.

Course coordinator

Shivani
Senior Research Associate
Urban Water and Waste Program
Phone: +91-11-40616000 (ext: 244)
Mobile: 8699770153
Email: [email protected]

course director

Unpin Singh Kapur
Director
Water Program
Telephone: +91 9711178181
Email: [email protected]

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