Challenge: Adaption to climate change
In recent years, the Fraunhofer Morgenstadt network has supported many developments in the field of Smart Cities, mainly in Europe. However, especially in the context of climate change, the challenges for urban development outside Europe are much greater. Due to different framework conditions, cities in these regions also require alternative approaches compared to Europe.
Adapted methodology for emerging countries
For this reason, as part of the international climate protection initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Production (BMUV), the methodology for the city analysis of the Morgenstadt City Lab is now being adapted to the conditions in emerging countries. In this context, the Morgenstadt City Labs will be carried out in the following three exemplary cities: Kochi (India), Saltillo (Mexico) and Píura (Peru). The aim is to use these analyses to identify potential actions for climate protection and adaptation to climate change in the three cities.
IGB manages city lab in Kochi, India
Fraunhofer IGB is involved here in the field of water supply, wastewater treatment and flood protection. The institute also manages the City Lab in Kochi, not least because of its many years of experience in India. In Kochi and Saltillo the two‑week onsite assessments were scheduled for the first half of 2020. Here important parties from the respective cities were interviewed and initial ideas for measures developed on the basis of a deeper understanding of the interdependencies in these cities.
Results: City Lab analysis reveals climate potentials
The City Lab methodology has been successfully adapted to the conditions in emerging economies in the context of this project and has proven to be particularly useful in the context of climate change adaptation and limiting greenhouse gas emissions. After conducting a sectoral analysis, including interviews with stakeholders in the water sector, a list of specific project proposals was generated for the analyzed cities that shall improve their resilience to climate change and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions (see below). Some of the exemplary solutions, such as the proposal for sustainable redevelopment of an urban neighborhood in Kochi, can serve as a blueprint for other cities with similar conditions.
Outlook
Pilot implementation of some of these measures is planned for 2022.