How can blue infrastructure enhance quality of life in Indian cities?
Building on the SEIAS group’s expertise in blue infrastructure, urban ecosystem services and human wellbeing, Dr. Koushik Chowdhury joins the group on an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship. Here, he introduces himself and his exciting new research project.
Hello Koushik, welcome to our group! Can you shortly introduce yourself and your research background?
Thank you. I’m happy to participate in this forum and add to the collection of research stories. I have previously loved reading the blog, but I never imagined that one day I would be on the other side.
I am a postdoctoral researcher in the group, granted an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation fellowship since March 2023.
I grew up in a small, remote village in India where people extensively used water bodies for their livelihood, which helped me realize the importance of those traditional landscape features and later, focus my research agenda around them.
For my Master’s thesis in Geography at Vidyasagar University in Midnapore, I investigated traditional ecological knowledge, medicinal plants, and biodiversity conservation in water-stressed districts. Prior to my PhD, I worked on a project at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur on traditional water bodies and climate change adaptation. I then conducted my PhD at the IIT Kharagpur, India on traditional water bodies in West Bengal, including their ecosystem services, and how they link to groundwater levels.
Very interesting! Can you tell us what will you be working on now as part of the SEIAS group?
Yes. It is predicted that by 2050, two-thirds of the world’s population will live in cities (UNDP, 2018). This rapid urbanisation, particularly in the Global South, poses many challenges, such as urban flooding, traffic congestion, urban heat effects, groundwater depletion, pollution and biodiversity loss. Many households also have water shortages.
In my new research project, I will investigate nature-based solutions to these challenges, particularly related to blue infrastructure in cities in the Global South.
I’m particularly interested in how traditional forms of blue infrastructure, including ponds, lakes, canals, and estuaries, can improve quality of city life.
This is by minimizing urban flooding, heat waves, and congestion, and providing job creation, green transportation, and habitat for urban biodiversity. I’m also interested in the historical and political aspect of this urban ecology.
How will you commence your research? What activities will you undertake as part of this project?
I will study these urban dynamics in five major cities in India, namely Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi and Mumbai. These cities have different types of blue infrastructure: Kolkata has rivers, lakes and canals; Bangalore and Hyderabad have lakes; and Kochi and Mumbai are coastal cities.
In my first research task, for each city, I aim to survey residents from 150 households located close to water bodies about the values of water bodies and their importance for urban resilience.
Additionally, I will conduct interviews with key informants to understand the management decisions and politics related to this blue infrastructure.
Suitable statistical models will be used to understand the relationship between the presence of water bodies (e.g., lakes and rivers) and different dimensions of urban sustainability, such as air quality, water conservation and management, protecting biodiversity, community well-being, and improving the resilience and adaptability of cities.
In a second research task, I will use political ecology approaches to assess blue infrastructure and the link to sustainability. I will use existing datasets including archival/historical sources and grey literature.
Can you tell us a bit more about the people and the landscapes in your study region?
Urban landscapes in India are a mix of tradition and modernity. On the one hand you have historical landmarks, monuments, and heritage sites, and on the other you have modern infrastructure such as skyscraper buildings and flyovers.
The five cities I will study are major financial, technological and cultural hubs in India that have undergone massive development. They nevertheless have many green and natural features. In the middle of the concrete jungle, parks, gardens, lakes, and rivers offer areas to local people for relaxation and rest. Efforts are being made by local governments to enhance the diverse ecological processes and services provided by these natural and grey landscapes by implementing water conservation schemes, urban forestry, urban renewal and biodiversity conservation.
One last question: what do you hope to accomplish with this research?
I hope to build evidence for the importance of integrating urban water bodies into urban planning and design, to improve the quality of life and resilience capacity of cities. This is particularly important in the context of climate change. This evidence can potentially be used by policy makers and urban developers to build and nurture more sustainable and resilient cities in tandem with nature and people.
That sounds great Koushik! We are excited to have you in the group and to see how your project progresses.
If you would like to read more about the group’s research on blue infrastructure and urban development, please see our previous Medium post:
For Dr. Chowdhury’s academic profile, please see here.
And some additional reading here:
1. Almenar, J.B., Elliot, T., Rugani, B., Philippe, B., Gutierrez, T.N., Sonnemann, G. and Geneletti, D., 2021. Nexus between nature-based solutions, ecosystem services and urban challenges. Land use policy, 100, p.104898.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104898
2. Raymond, C.M., Frantzeskaki, N., Kabisch, N., Berry, P., Breil, M., Nita, M.R., Geneletti, D. and Calfapietra, C., 2017. A framework for assessing and implementing the co-benefits of nature-based solutions in urban areas. Environmental Science & Policy, 77, pp.15–24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2017.07.008
3. Mukherjee, J., 2022. “Living systems infrastructure” of Kolkata: exploring co-production of urban nature using historical urban political ecology (HUPE). Environment and Urbanization, 34(1), pp.32–51. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09562478221084560
4. Frantzeskaki, N., Mahmoud, I.H. and Morello, E., 2022. Nature-based solutions for resilient and thriving cities: opportunities and challenges for planning future cities. Nature-based Solutions for Sustainable Urban Planning: Greening Cities, Shaping Cities, pp.3–17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89525-9_1
5. UNDP., 2018. World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision, United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18356/b9e995fe-en
