Webinar on Hydro-meteorological Risks in Built Environment

Duration

19/10/2022 to 19/10/2022

Document(s)

Template for Country Presentations (1.16 MB)

Program Note

Background

Climate, weather and hydrological hazards do not recognize national boundaries. As the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) convenes this fall in Egypt, delegates, attendees, and industry practitioners agree that attempts to prevent our global warming from reaching 1.5 degrees warmer than preindustrial levels are falling short. With rising temperatures fuelling devastating weather events from fires to flooding, this year’s climate summit goals bring a progressively sharper focus to mitigating the worst effects of these events and adapting to our changing climate.

Observed variability in nature of hydro-meteorological hazards in SAARC Region

There has been conspicuous enhancement in the severity of hydro-meteorological in recent years. A scientific study reveals that while climatologically, the frequency of tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal is higher relative to that over the Arabian Sea. However, a greater number of cyclones have been forming in the Arabian Sea. It was found that during 1982–2019, a significant increasing trend in the intensity, frequency, and duration of cyclonic storms is observed over the Arabian Sea. In addition, the effect of climate change has led to increase in the risk of coastal flooding resulting from cyclone induced storm surges. Low-lying settlements may become unviable, which may result in increased potential for movement of population and loss of infrastructure. Studies shows that more heat waves will increase the number of deaths, particularly among the elderly, the very young, or among people who are chronically ill, socially isolated or otherwise especially vulnerable. Increased drought in some regions will likely lead to land degradation, damage to crops or reduced yields, more livestock deaths, and an increased risk of wildfire. Such conditions will increase the risks for populations dependent on subsistence agriculture, through food and water shortage and higher incidence of malnutrition, water-borne and food-borne diseases, and may lead to displacements of populations. Increased frequency of high precipitation in some regions will trigger floods and landslides, with potentially large losses of life and assets. These events will disrupt agriculture, settlements, commerce and transport and may further increase pressures on urban and rural infrastructure. Higher temperatures and melting glaciers may cause glacial lake outbursts that could flood downstream settlements.

Promoting climate resilience

Natural hazards by themselves do not cause disasters—it is the combination of an exposed, vulnerable and ill-prepared population or community with a hazard event that results in a disaster. Cities are failing to prepare for climate change and should focus on resilient design solutions such as building houses on stilts or creating floating neighbourhoods, according to the latest report from the United Nations' climate change panel. Published earlier this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report blamed cities for a "lack of climate sensitive planning" and proposed ways to redesign homes and urban areas to protect citizens from extreme weather and rising seas. "Many cities and settlements have developed adaptation plans but few have been implemented so that urban adaptation gaps exist in all world regions," the report said. "Exposure to climate-driven impacts in combination with rapid urbanisation and lack of climate sensitive planning, is affecting marginalised urban populations and key infrastructure."

Nature-based Solutions for climate change mitigation

However, the IPCC has also highlighted the built environment as a key area of opportunity in the fight against climate change if retrofitted, upgraded and redesigned to be greener, more equitable and renewably powered. It highlights that Nature-based solutions "under-recognised and under-invested". In the built environment, this means not just eliminating operational and embodied carbon but also making buildings more resilient. Viable solutions listed in the report include elevating houses on stilts and creating "amphibious architecture" that can float on the surface of rising floodwater. As global temperatures rise and heatwaves are exacerbated, homes will also need to be built or retrofitted with passive cooling technologies such as wind towers, solar shading and white or green roofs to cool interiors without relying on emissions-intensive air conditioning. On a city level, the report says there needs to be a greater focus on combining grey infrastructure projects with "nature-based solutions", which are currently "under-recognised and under-invested" despite being more affordable and flexible.

Designing for a climate-changed built environment

For designing infrastructure and buildings for the long term, in many climate zones it is no longer reasonable to only look to weather statistics and storm return periods derived from historical weather records without taking account of projected climate change effects. Improved access to locally focused climate predictions can enable engineers and planners to ensure that buildings and infrastructure are designed to accommodate anticipated changes in climate. It is essential that our infrastructure designs account for the record-breaking storm water statistics we’re seeing now, while paying keen attention to predicted data to futureproof our communities and critical infrastructure and protect our most vulnerable populations. With the continued climate crisis stretching ahead, we need resilience experts to work on building up the resilience that our built environment needs now. We need tools and approaches that can help futureproof our climate-changed and changing world, in tandem with the best efforts of world leaders, and all of us, to ensure that the worst of climate change is mitigated.

Webinar Objectives

The proposed webinar will discuss how the changing nature of hydro-meteorological hazards is impacting the built environment in the SAARC region. The objectives of webinar are as follow:

• 1. Understand the observed variability in the nature of Hydro-meteorological Hazards.
• 2. Understanding impediments and ways to promote climate resilient infrastructure.
• 3. Understanding ways to design climate-changed built environment.

Participants

This webinar aims to engage Senior Officers from Ministries/Dept. dealing with Sustainable Development, Economic Affairs; National Disaster Management Organizations (NDMOs) from all the SAARC Member States.

Tentative Agenda

S.No.	Topic	Time	Time Slot	Resource
1.	Inauguration of the Webinar	30 min	13:30 – 14:00	SDMC (IU)
	Welcome & Introduction of the Speakers and about the Webinar	10 min		Director, SDMC (IU)
	Introductory Remarks by Member States	14 min (2 min each)		Representative from each of the SAARC Member States
2.	Technical sessions	100 min	14:00 – 15:50
a.	Observed variability in the nature of Hydro-meteorological Hazards	30 min	14:00 – 14:30	Dr. Vimal Mishra, IIT-Gandhinagar
b.	Promoting climate resilience through science: Critical for South Asia Region	30 min	14:30 – 15:00	Dr. Sanjay Srivastava, UN-ESCAP
c.	Designing for a climate-changed built environment	30 min	15:00  - 15:30	Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed, The University of Newcastle, Australia
	Question and Answers	10 min	15:30 – 15:40
3.	Documentation of Climate Action of the Member States	30 min (3-4 min each)	15:40 – 16:10	Representatives from each of the SAARC Member States Moderator - Director, SDMC (IU)
4.	Wrap up	05 min	16:10 – 16:15	SDMC (IU)