Speakers
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Benjamin JohnSr. Manager- Climate Implementation, C40 CitiesBenjamin serves as C40 Senior Manager for Climate Implementation. He is an architect, urban regional planner, and urban designer by training with close to a decade of experience working in the fields of spatial planning and policy, mobility, physical infrastructure, and environmental management with a strong focus on stakeholder engagement. Before joining C40, Benjamin worked with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), Delhi, and the Dutch consultancy firm Royal Haskoning DHV (RHDHV) with practical experience working with governments across four continents (India, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa). While at NIUA, he worked on the preparation of the Master Plan of Delhi 2041, and with RHDHV he worked on the Revised Master Plan of Bengaluru 2031, and greenfield urban extension master plans for Surat, and Aurangabad.
Benjamin enjoys preparing maps using creative cartographic methods, and research writing with a focus on deep ethnography. He is also a trained musician and plays the keyboard, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, ukelele, and melodica during his free time.
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D. Thomas FrancoTamil Nadu Science ForumD. Thomas Franco was General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Science Forum for six years, District Central Programme Co-ordinator of Arirole Iyakkam (Total Literacy Campaign) in Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu. He was also Joint Secretary of All India Peoples Science Network for three years and Treasurer, Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samithi for three years and was a member of the Plan Sub Committee on Co-operatives, Kerala State Planning Board.
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Dr. D. RaghunandanClimate Lead, ClimACT-ChennaiRaghunandan is an active founder-member of and volunteers with Delhi Science Forum (DSF), a reputed non-profit “think tank”. In DSF, his focus is on Environment and Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Aerospace, Defence and Strategic Studies, and the Public Understanding of Science.
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Dr. Kurian JosephProfessor & Director, CCDM, Anna UniversityDr. Kurian Joseph is Professor of Environmental Engineering at the Centre for Environmental Studies, and presently Director at the Centre for Climate Change and Disaster Management, at Anna University. He has executed several research projects including international collaboration projects and lead project management consultant for Biomining of Legacy wastes in over 150 ULBs in Tamil Nadu including Greater Chennai Corporation. With expertise in Sustainable Development, Municipal Solid Waste Management, Pollution Prevention, Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental Economics, and Climate Action, he is currently leading a multidisciplinary team involved in “Operationalisation of Climate Studio” that carries out Climate hazard projections and vulnerability assessment of water, agriculture, forest, coastal and sustainable habitat sectors of Tamil Nadu.
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Raman MehtaDirector Programs, Vasudha FoundationRaman Mehta is the Director of Programs at the Vasudha Foundation. He has worked on different facets of sustainable development, climate change, and natural resources management during his career. He currently focuses on issues relating to equity in the context of climate change, integration of climate change concerns into development strategies, plans, and programs in India, and how to overcome barriers in accelerating the deployment of renewable energy sources in the country. In the past, he has worked at the Indian Institute of Public Administration, the World Wide Fund for Nature India, ActionAid India, and the British High Commission/Department for International Development. He has been involved in several research efforts and has a long list of reports and publications to his credit.
Local Time
- Timezone: America/New_York
- Date: Jan 17 2024
- Time: 7:30 am
Cities & Climate Change: An Overview
Discover a groundbreaking initiative with “Cities and Climate Change: Focus on Chennai,” a 10-part webinar series presented by INHAF under the visionary ClimACT-Chennai initiative. This series stands as a pioneering effort, igniting collaborative climate action and uniting diverse stakeholders toward a sustainable, climate-resilient future for Chennai, and potentially, for cities across India.
The webinar series aims to catalyze collaboration among experts, academics, policy-makers, advocates, practitioners, and CSOs/NGOs. It is a holistic exploration of climate challenges, delving into segments such as impacts and resilience (including extreme rainfall and flooding, urban heat island effect, sea-level rise, and coastal erosion), and mitigation strategies (encompassing buildings, transportation, waste, and power generation).
Cities and Climate Change: An Overview
The upcoming webinar delves into the distinctive challenges and opportunities cities face in the context of climate change. We will explore the specific impacts of climate change on urban areas, prioritize key challenges, and discuss opportunities for rapid emissions reduction. The conversation will extend to the efficacy of city-specific climate actions in addressing both Adaptation/Resilience and Mitigation/Emissions Reduction. We’ll analyze the pros and cons of these actions in connection with broader urbanization issues and the disparities faced by vulnerable populations. Key insights into the integration of city-level climate actions with India’s Nationally Determined Contributions and potential National Adaptation Plans, particularly in anticipation of upgraded plans in 2025 will be discussed.
Join us as we unravel the complexities of urban resilience and sustainability on the path to a climate-resilient future.
