Page 33 - Shelter-October-2022
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THEME PAPER


                   wastes   can    produce    with   the   water    bodies,   for garden, playground, and/
                   biogas, which can be       drainage    corridors    and    or  for  a  municipal  school,
                   used as a fuel or electrical   harvesting  ponds,  reservoirs   hospital, fire brigade and
                   energy.                    and  by  sediment  traps  in    housing for affected  people.
                                              the catchment zones. In         LiFE movement can play
              Biodiversity,      Greenery     water deficient, dry areas      a vital role in this task by
              and Amenity Spaces              the landscape can be in form    educating, mobilising and

              A study of the present land     of Xeriscaping, which can       sensitising the citizens.
              use pattern in India indicates   reduce total water demand      Urban  Heat Mitigation
              shortfall  of   land   under    by as much as 50% to 90% by
              forests and greens, while       micro/just- in -time irrigation.   and Climate Resilience
              the lands under agricultural    Vertical gardens and urban      In a  dense built-up  area air
              use are being increasingly      farming can provide relief in   rises  over  the  warmer  city
              converted for the highways,     the dense areas. Clean, blue    and settles down in the cooler
              airports and settlements. It is   and green networks- river     environs. The hot air dome
              estimated that an additional    front, canals, drains,  water   and its effect on microclimate
              2 to 3 million hectares would   bodies, roads and parks are     may persist until wind or
              be   required   for   human     essential  for  a  hygienic  and   rain disperses it. Increased
              settlements during next 10      healthy environment. Trees      aerodynamics    of   built-up
              years. Sacrificing agricultural   provide shade and moisture,   areas cause rapid deceleration
              land for habitation implies     and roadside trees and parks    of wind compared with open
              reduction    of   land    for   can reduce the temperature by   countryside. It has been
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              producing food. The lands       up to 10 C. Covering exterior   calculated that wind velocity
              that   sustain    agriculture,  surfaces  of  a  building  with   within a city is half of what it is
              biodiversity, surface water     vegetation is also helpful.     over open land. The mutations
              and groundwater, fragile and    In a city an overall area of    and reservation  of greenery
              sensitive areas, coastal zones,   10 sq. m of greens per capita   and open space in windward
              etc. need protection  and       should be reserved for public   direction and cooler surface
              conservation.                   greens at city, zonal and       materials (roads, parking,

              A system of landscaped          local levels. In built-up areas   buildings, roofs,  etc.) help
                                                                              in mitigating the urban
              linkages  connecting  various   reservation of open space       heat. The urban heat island
              parts of the city, water bodies   can be done by adopting       effect has a direct bearing
              and monuments can provide       appropriate       regulations   on the comfort conditions
              a sense of oasis and shelter    for   redevelopment.     The    and  increased  heat  results  in
              from    oppressive   climate.   Government of Maharashtra       more  air-conditioning  and
              Peripheral  green belts can     has notified the regulations for   higher use of energy. The LiFE
              act  as  wind  breakers,  filters   Provision of Amenity Spaces   movement can be a useful aid
              of SPM and dust-storms. The     and Open Recreational Spaces    to reduce urban heat.
              green buffers with indigenous   under Unified Development
              trees,   land     formations,   Control    and     Promotion    Water Conservation
              mounds, embankments, etc.       Regulations (UDCPR 2020).
              also provide effective barriers   These provisions oblige that   Water scarcity has become
              to transmission of noise.       a minimum 10% of space is       a persisting problem in
                                              reserved and provided in        Indian cities due to climate
              The      development       of   plots more than 4000 sqm        change, pollution  of rivers,
              greenways can be integrated     against additional FSI or TDR   water bodies and massive


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