Urbanization and Environment – Issues, Challenges and Potentials
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PROCEEDINGS OF KERALA ENVIRONMENT CONGRESS 2016 FOCAL THEME URBANIZation AND ENVIRONMENT ISSUES CHALLENGES AND POTENTIALS 28th & 29th November, 2016 at Energy Management Centre - Kerala Thiruvananthapuram Organised by CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND Development THIRUVANANTHAPURAM In Association with ENERGY Management CENTRE – Kerala Supported by Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment & Kerala State Biodiversity Board Proceedings of the Kerala Environment Congress - 2016 Editors Dr Vinod T R Dr T Sabu Dr Thrivikramji K P Dr Babu Ambat Published by Centre for Environment and Development Thozhuvancode, Vattiyoorkavu Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India-695013 Design & Pre-press Godfrey’s Graphics Sasthamangalam, Thiruvananthapuram Printed at Newmulti Offset, Thiruvananthapuram Kerala State Council for Science Technology & Environment Sasthrabhavan, Pattom P.O Thiruvananthapuram-695 004, Kerala, India Ph: +91471-2543557 (Direct), Fax: +91471-2540085 E-mail: [email protected] Official Email:[email protected] Dr. Suresh Das Executive Vice President FOREWORD Worldwide, rapid urbanization is leading to several challenges related to housing, infrastructure, encroachment of land, pollution, sewerage, waste and traffic management. In addition, the difficulties of providing sufficient jobs in urban areas has led to poverty, expanding slums and social unrest making urban governance a difficult task. This is especially true of the developing world and more so for the two rapidly developing countries, China and India. At present, more than half of the world’s population is living in small towns and cities with about half a million population. By 2050, the world population is projected to be 9.2 billion, of which 6.7 billion or 73% are estimated to live in urban areas. In India, in the last fifty years while the overall population has increased by two-and-a-half times, the urban population has grown nearly five times. This high rate of urban population growth is a cause of concern among India’s urban and town planners. While on the one hand growth of cities is important, since they can act as catalysts for economic and social growth, the pace of urbanization has been so rapid, that it has limited the capacity of authorities to provide the services and infrastructure required for sustainable urban development. This has resulted in improper planned growth where our urban centres have mostly been converted in to built-up areas with little or no green coverage, turning them into urban heat islands which contribute significantly to climate change. As a result ‘Urban Environment Management’ has become one of the most urgent and challenging tasks for urban planners and urban policy makers in India. It becomes very important that innovative tools and techniques for urban environment management are developed and utilized to make urban development sustainable. In this context I am very happy that the Kerala Environment Congress is being organized by the Centre for Environment and Development in association with the Energy Management Centre, Kerala. I have been informed that the 12th KEC which is being held on November 28th and 29th, 2016 in Thiruvananthapuram aims at highlighting the importance of urban environment management required for the sustainable development of our urban areas. It is indeed commendable that the Centre for Environment and Development which has been in the forefront of linking science, technology and knowledge systems for environmentally sustainable development is taking this important initiative. The Proceedings Volume which contains detailed reviews and papers by eminent experts in the concerned fields focusing on ‘Urban Environment Management’, will be very useful in strengthening programs and activities for integrating science, technology and knowledge systems for the development of the urban areas of our country. The inputs from the participants on various aspects including science and technology, societal roles in framing policies and programs leading to urban planning, urban development and urban environment management, will surely offer deeper insights into the important issues and available options for consideration within the country as well as in the State of Kerala. Dr. Suresh Das KERALA ENVIRONMENT CONGRESS 2016 The Centre for Environment and Development(CED) is an autonomous R&D, Consultancy and Training institution recognized as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation(SIRO) by Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India. CED organized the Indian Environment Congress in 2004 and the success of this program and the request from several corners prompted us to initiate the Kerala Environment Congress (KEC) in 2005 with special focus to Kerala. CED has till date completed eleven Congresses on various focal themes. CED, established in 1993 at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala is now being expanded its coverage into twelve states in the country and has wide network and collaboration with many state, national and international agencies. CED has been focusing both on environment and development related sectors bringing complementarities, leading to sustainable development. CED is working with 6 Program Areas viz., (i) Natural Resources and Environment Management, (ii) Water, Sanitation and Health, (iii) Climate Change and Energy Studies, (iv) Urban and Rural Studies, (v) Culture, Heritage and Environment and (vi) Information and Knowledge Management. CED is the Centre of Excellence of Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India on Solid Waste and Waste Water Management; National Key Resource Centre on Water and Sanitation of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India and Regional Resource Agency of Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change, Government of India. CED is also the Training Institute of Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India for AMRUT. CED has its Eastern Regional Centre at Bhubaneswar, Odisha and Regional Centre at Hyderabad. The Centre has its activities spread over the states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan,Jharkhand, WestBengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Pondicherry, Jammu Kashmir apart from Kerala. CED is providing technical support to many local self government institutions in the country for Water Supply Engineering, Solid Waste Management, Wastewater Management, Preparation of GIS based Maps, Biodiversity Conservation, Urban Development, Energy and Environment Auditing, Policy studies and reforms,etc. CED has established Urban Reforms Cells in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states to provide support in urban development, urban policy formulation and urban poverty alleviation programs. CED initiated the Odisha Environment Congress jointly with Human Development Foundation and Regional Museum of Natural History in 2010 and has completed six Congresses. During the last 23 years, CED has completed nearly 120 research, consultancy and training projects supported by different national and international agencies like the World Bank, UNDP, JICA, ADB, RNE, IDRC, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change,etc and many State governments agencies The KEC was started with the objective of creating a platform for bringing together scientists and technologists,policy-decision makers, development managers and research students for sharing of knowledge, expertise and experience in subjects of high relevance to the sustainable development of the country. All the eleven Congresses had been organized on different focal themes which had high relevance Kerala Environment Congress 2016 Thiruvananthapuram in the environment conservation and management as well as the development of the society. The first Kerala Environment Congress was organised in 2005 at Kochi with the focal theme ‘Coastal and Marine Environment’. The second Congress was held at Kozhikode in 2006 with the focal theme ‘Forest Resources of Kerala’ and the third KEC was organized in 2007 with ‘Wetlands of Kerala’ as the focal theme. The fourth Congress focused on the theme ‘Environmental Sanitation, Health and Hygiene’ and the next one was held in 2009 with the focal theme ‘Water Resources of Kerala’. The sixth, seventh and eighth Congresses were held in 2010, 2011 and 2012 with the focal themes ‘Solid and Liquid Waste Management’, Energy and Environment and Agriculture and Environment respectively. The nineth Congress was held at Thiruvananthapuram with the focal theme “Culture, Heritage and Environment”. The tenth KEC was organized at Kochi with the focal theme “Water and Energy SecurityIssues, Challenges and Potentials” which was inaugurated by Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Hon’ble Former President of India and the last KEC was organized at Kottayam on the focal theme “Climate Change and Sustainable Development”. All the eleven Congresses were well received by the researchers, academicians, research students and policy-decision makers. KEC has its uniqueness that it targets not only researchers and academic people, but also the policy-decision makers and the community which helps to the translation of scientific knowledge and information in to the development agenda of the governments. This year’s Kerala Environment Congress (12th KEC) is being organized on 28th and 29th November,2016 in association with the Energy Management Centre, Kerala at EMC Conference Hall, with the focal theme “ Urbanisation and Environment- Issues, Challenges and