Category: Lan Use / Rural and Urban Development

Under the Land Use / Urban and Rural Development research area, IGCS focuses on urban expansion, particularly on the peri-urban fringes of cities and functional urban-rural interdependencies. Researchers seek to understand the drivers behind expansion and growth, the role of institutions and policies and how they interact with urban, suburban and rural aspirations, the social, economic and environmental impacts of peri-urban growth and how these processes are governed.

Dr. Woiwode publishes article on Adaptive Governance, Pericene Project

IGCS is thrilled to announce publication of research article by our Research Associate Dr. Christoph Woiwode with former IGCS Area Coordinator Sudhir Chella Rajan and 3 other collaborators from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras on the topic- ‘Identifying Entry Points for Adaptive Governance in Peri-Urban Chennai (India): A Multi-Dimensional, Multi-Level, and Multi-Scalar Approach.’

The paper explores Chennai’s fast-growing peri-urban areas and explores how to better respond to the unprecedented impacts of climate change and rapid urbanization. Chennai faces significant climate risks like floods, droughts, and extreme heat, especially in the expanding peri-urban regions, which are areas that transition from rural to urban. These regions are crucial for the city’s future resilience.

The paper proposes a framework for “adaptive governance” that focuses on flexible, multi-level approaches to managing these challenges. It identifies key areas where changes in governance could make a big difference—particularly in water management, agroecological practices (like using land for sustainable farming), and improving coordination between local, state, and national authorities. The study highlights the importance of learning from traditional practices, such as local water management, while also introducing innovative solutions to build resilience. This approach is part of a larger effort, the #PeriCene project, which looks at how peri-urban areas around the world are being affected by climate change, and how they can adapt to it.

This research underscores that while the challenges are complex, there are already promising efforts in Chennai to create more sustainable and resilient systems.

You can read the full article here:
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-cities/articles/10.3389/frsc.2024.1368240/ful

New Project for IGCS Focus Area Landuse

Focus Area Landuse introduces ARiSE Chennai – Agroecology, Resilience, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship.

IGCS announces an exciting Focus Area Landuse, Urban/Rural Development project. Funded with Rs. 20 Lakhs under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by our partner company Solverminds Technology Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Chennai. This 18-month-long project addresses one of humanity’s key grand challenges at the interface of rapid urbanization, particularly, how to make food production and consumption more sustainable, secure, just, and resilient.

Together with our partner organisation, Chennai Resilience Centre, we are looking forward to implementing the overarching objective of the project, which is to develop a strategic vision of peri/urban agroecology for the metropolitan region of Chennai that enhances climate risk resilience and sustainable development through an entrepreneurial approach, with the longer-term vision to create an urban food council. This project further builds on previous research in the Peri-Cene project by the IGCS Landuse area, which identified agroecology as a high-potential, sustainable, adaptive development pathway to address climate change and disaster risks.

Decorative Image: Focus Area Landuse

Furthermore, the workshop “Exploring Food System Transformation in the Chennai Region” laid the seeds for creating a stakeholder network. Additionally, this was built on a research collaboration with Die Agronauten, Freiburg, in Germany, including a co-authored IGCS Research Brief outlining several recommendations.

Contact IGCS’ Dr. Christoph Woiwode (woiwode@igcs-chennai.org) for further information.

About IGCS Cooperation

IGCS is a source of inspiration and skills for proactive sustainability transformation in research and teaching activities. The sustainable use of resources in times of climate change and forthcoming societal challenges is a pressing task. The centre offers valuable human capital and solutions for various global challenges. It equips international talents from German and Indian universities. It collaborates with companies and NGOs to accept this challenge. IGCS welcomes liaison with new partners to tackle the present global challenges together.

IGCS Land Use Focus Area awarded Peri-Cene Project

Dr. Christoph Woiwode, together with Prof. Sudhir Chella Rajan (IIT Madras) has been awarded a new research project entitled “Peri-Cene Tamil Nadu – Growth Management and Climate Change Adaptation in Peri-urban Madurai and Coimbatore”.

Having completed the previous Peri-Cene project with a focus on periurbanization in Chennai, the Government of Tamil Nadu had taken interest in developing a similar methodology for the smaller cities in the state. Consequently, the State Land Use Research Board, part of the State Planning Commission, funds this 14 months long study with approx. Rs 32 Lakhs (Euro 35,000).

This project will study the dynamics and processes of peri-urbanization in the tier-I cities of Madurai and Coimbatore. Its main objective is to develop a ‘blueprint’ methodological approach for the analysis of peri-urbanization on which tailor-designed recommendations for interventions can be proposed. Key thematic areas in focus are challenges of urban sprawl, labour migration, and issues of growth management in the context of climate change and sustainable development. Three main components comprise the overall research design. First, collecting data on peri-urbanization which will also assist in defining the peri-urban for each of the two selected cities in terms of its spatial extent and qualitative characteristics. Second, document the dynamics and features through the visualisation in maps and other scenario modelling tools (e.g. Gamification and Agent Based Modelling) that may also be used for decision making support and communicating findings. Third, a mapping of stakeholders in conjunction with an analysis of governance institutions to determine potential development scenarios and transformation pathways.

It is expected that the outcome will benefit several government authorities, such as Madurai & Coimbatore Urban Development Authorities; Dep. of Environment & Climate Change; Water Resources Dep.; Dep. of Agriculture; Dep. of Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply; Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Dep.