Resilient Cities

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This webinar was held on 3rd September 2020. You can watch the recording on our YouTube Channel.

Context


Approximately 30% of Indian population currently resides in cities – a number that is expected to jump to about 50% by 2030, accounting for almost 70% of our national GDP. Despite its contribution in vitalizing Indian economy, cities in India suffer from several challenges, including water shortage, poor road infrastructure, and sewerage and drainage problems, amongst many others. In turn, they also add to the failing ecological balance and pollute the environment in multiple ways.
Considering cities will not only drive the country’s economy, but will need to play a significant role in social and environmental renewal of the country, the government of India has kept Urban Development as a priority for our country over the last two decades. However, in the past few years, the focus on this sector has increased even more, with a sizable amount being committed to the various programs in short and medium term budgets.
Programs of the government, like AMRUT, Smart Cities Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission seek to identify and apply ‘smart solutions’ to develop cities as livable, sustainable cities, with improved provision of urban infrastructure and services; including water and sanitation, electricity, urban mobility and public transport, affordable housing, IT connectivity and digitalization, e-governance and citizen participation, sustainable environment, citizen safety, and health and education.

Use of Technology


The government is encouraging the use of a sleuth of technologies, including various forms of data capture methods using sensors, processing of information using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, setting up Command and Control rooms, and integrating various ICT and geospatial information and technologies to ensure safe, fast and efficient delivery of services. Various guidelines and initiatives have been taken up to ensure cities in India are developed on the solid ground of reliable, timely and accurate data. For example, under the AMRUT Cities program, formulation of GIS-based Master/Development Plans for 500 AMRUT Cities has been approved as a 100% centrally funded sub-scheme with budget outlay of Rs. 515.00 crores.1 NASSCOM in collaboration with Accenture and supported by AGI released an Integrated ICT and Geospatial Technologies Framework for 100 Smart Cities. This framework provides details on integrating geospatial information and technologies with ICT for applications ranging from Smart Water, Smart Energy, Smart Transportation, Smart Waste Management, Smart Urban Planning, Smart Environment Management, and Smart City Governance.2 The Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) is undertaking geo-tagging of progress parameters (such as IHHL, CT/PT, SWM plants) through the mSBM mobile application.

About the Webinar


The Association of Geospatial Industries (AGI) is an industry-led non-profit non-government professional organization that represents the interests of geospatial industry in India and works towards the advancement of geospatial technologies and their applications. AGI is organizing a webinar titled “Geospatial Technologies Building Resilient Cities” on Thursday, 3 September 2020 from 3 – 5:30 pm, with an intention to understand the user needs and demands, educate them on the applicability, value, benefits of adopting geospatial information and technologies for various Smart Cities and related missions, and to provide a space for the geospatial and associated technology providers to showcase innovative solutions for building resilient cities.

http://amrut.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/designandStandards_AMRUT(3).pdf


https://smartnet.niua.org/sites/default/files/resources/Integrated-ICT-Geospatial-Technologies-2015%20%28Nasscom-Accenture%29.pdf

Key questions


Some of the key questions the series intends to answer are:

• What are some of the key developments taking place in India towards building Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Cities?

• How are digital and geospatial technologies being leveraged in the various missions?

• What are some of the good practices and use cases?

• What are the challenges, gap areas and the untapped potential of this technology for the sector?

• How can we bridge the gap?

Agenda


3:00 – 3:05 pm Welcome note by MEGHA DATTA, Director – Market Development, AGI India

3:05 – 3:20 pm Opening Address by AGENDRA KUMAR, President, AGI

Topic: Overview on the use of Geospatial Technologies in Building Resilient Cities

3:20 – 3:40 pm Keynote Address by ADITI GARG, IAS, CEO, Indore Smart Cities

3:40 – 3:45 pm Q&A with the Keynote Speaker

3:45 – 4:05 pm Address by DR. D. VASUDEVAN, General Manager (P&C), Varanasi Smart City Ltd.

4:05 – 4:10 pm Q&A with the Speaker

4:10 – 4:25 pm Industry Address by DR. RUMA SHUKLA, Senior Manager, Esri India

4:25 – 4:40 pm Industry Address by SHAILESH SHANKAR, Manager – Sales Engineering, Asia Pacific, Maxar Technologies

4:40 – 5:10 pm Panel Discussion on Bridging the Geospatial Adoption Gap: Opportunities and Challenges in Building Resilient Cities

Moderator: NIKHIL KUMAR, Vice President, AGI

Panellists:

DR. UMAMAHESHWARAN RAJASEKAR, Chair, Urban Resilience, NIUA

ABHINEET JAIN, Lead of Global Industry Business Development, Maxar Technologies

G SREERAMAM, CEO, NeoGeoinfo Technologies

5:10 – 5:15 pm Closing Remarks by NIKHIL KUMAR, Vice President, AGI