kick-off-meeting, February 2019, Vijayawada, India
BReUCom project started in Vijayawada, India
| Demand detected for capacity building amongst urban professionals. Tackling resilience of poor, informal and marginalized communities in India via capacity building for urban professionals is at the core of the EU funded project “Building Resilient Urban Communities” (BReUCom). Partners of this project from universities and NGOs in both India and Europe met for the first time during a kick off meeting that took place at the School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada between February 11th and 15th, 2019. |
© John Horn, ITC |
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Many of the partners had already successfully collaborated in a predecessor project (https://mdl.donau-uni.ac.at/binucom/) that likewise focused on slums and informal settlements and how urban planning can inclusively and sustainably deal with them. Additionally, two mayor Indian NGOs working in the field were enthusiastically welcomed into the BReUCom team. They will substantially support the new project’s goal to set up post gradual training schemes for urban professionals to work with poor urban communities. These communities are often most vulnerable to impacts of climate change and global warming; Their houses and huts tend to be located in urban areas exposed to dangers from extreme weather events and consequent disasters such as heavy rainfalls, sea level rise or landslides. Furthermore, they suffer most from lack of basic infrastructure such as potable water and electricity, which make enduring extreme weather even harder for them. |
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© Antonia Dausner, DUK |
Participants of the kick off meeting were unanimous that these challenges demand for capacity building amongst urban professionals with regards to preparedness as well as participatory, community driven disaster risk management. Partners therefor set to work drafting major project deliverables: They will elaborate 10 case studies investigating issues of risks and resilience in strategically chosen locations all over India and drawing analytical comparisons with European counter parts. Based on this, new courses will be developed and piloted at four different Indian Higher Education Institutions to support capacity building for future urban planners and architects. Simultaneously, a whole portfolio of Professional Development Programs will be created and likewise piloted to serve professionals already engaged in the field. |
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Part of BReUCom Consortium |
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© John Horn, ITC |
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Event photo gallery (click here) |
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