Doctoral Thesis

Working title:
Nature-based Solutions for Urban Water Security in Medium-sized Cities from South Asia:Case of Dehradun, India

Supervisors:
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wende, Technische Universität Dresden
Dr. Regine Ortlepp, Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development

IOER Research areas:
Landscape, Ecosystems and Biodiversity
Built Environment - Resources and Environmental Risks

Abstract:
Growing urban water crisis in conjunction with urbanization and climate stresses is a major challenge of twenty-first century. While extreme hot weather and rising potable water demand have exacerbated water scarcity, increased frequency and severity of climatic events such as heavy rainstorms has led to urban flooding. To tackle the growing concerns of urban water security and related risks concept of urban green infrastructure (UGI) have been advocated as climate adaptive measure. However in comparison to developed regions, cities in South Asia are yet to fully explore the potential of UGI in urbanization, climate and demographic processes to move towards more sustainable, resilient and just future. This is especially true for small and medium-sized cities which have high urbanization rate and limited adaptive capacity thus making them more prone to climate change impacts. In this context, taking Dehradun city as a representative case, the proposed research attempts to conceptualize UGI in socio-spatial and environmental context while understanding the associated spatial and social vulnerabilities arising due to urban water insecurity. The research using mixed method approach will utilize spatial and social statistical techniques to inquire into possible associations and correlations between water scarcity and urban flooding events through integrated vulnerability assessment which will aid in contextualization of green infrastructure for urban water resilience in medium-sized cities of South Asia.

CV

Education

03/2020-present
Doctoral Student at TU Dresden, Faculty of Architecture, Dresden, Germany.

07/2014 - 05/2016
Studies in Urban and Rural Planning, Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee, Uttarakhand India
Academic Degree: Masters in Urban and Rural Planning.

07/2003 – 04/2008
Studies in Architecture, National Institute of Technology-Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Academic Degree: Bachelors in Architecture.

Experiences

04/2018 – 02/2020

Programme Specialist for Climate Adaptive Equitable Water Management Practices for Cities in South Asia, Mussoorie & Haldwani (Uttarakhand) and Dhulikhel & Dharan (Nepal) funded by IDRC, Canada, at Centre for Ecology Development and Research (CEDAR) Dehradun, India.

Programme Specialist for Creating Climate resilient Communities in Mid-Hills of Uttarakhand: Intervention towards Forest, Water and Livelihood Security funded by National Mission on Himalayan Studies, Government of India at Centre for Ecology Development and Research (CEDAR) Dehradun, India.

Research and facilitation support to The Landscapes and Livelihoods Group, Edinburgh for the application of IUCN’s Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) in the Nepal-India Trans-boundary Tiger Landscape funded by KfW.

Urban & Spatial Analyst for Advance Management Studies, Lucknow, under Indo-German financial cooperation KfW-GIZ to design, conduct and analyse ten thousand household surveys in Rishikesh Municipal Corporation (Uttarakhand), India.

Visiting Faculty/ Guest Faculty

Department of Planning, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Faculty of Design and Architecture, DIT University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

School of Environment and Natural Resources, Doon University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

30/05/2016 – 15/10/2017
State Mission Management Urban Planner for project ‘Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)’, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India at Urban Development Directorate, Dehradun, India.

Urban Planner forCity Sanitation Plan (CSP) in Uttarakhand for Various Identified Urban Clusters, Indo-German Co-operation Project under National Urban Sanitation Policy (NUSP) in Association with GIZ & Doon University.

12/05/2015 – 10/07/2015
Project Intern for project ‘Road Map for Urban Climate Resilience Policy for Goa & Uttarakhand’ at Centre for Research on Sustainable Urban Development & Transport Systems, The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi

18/10/2010 – 31/07/2014
Senior Architect at Engineers India Limited, New Delhi, Project: Energy Efficient Administrative Building at GAIL Compressor Station (4-Star GRIHA Rated Green Building)

19/05/2008 – 15/10/2010
Architectural Practice, Delhi NCR Region.

01/01/2008 – 12/04/2008
Trainee Architect at Auroville Earth Institute, Auroville, India.

Awards

Doctorate Scholarship for the Dresden Leibniz Graduate School (DLGS) by Leibniz-Institut für ökologische Raumentwicklung e.V. (IÖR)

MHRD-GATE Qualification Scholarship for Post-graduate Studies from Ministry of Human Resources & Development, Government of India.

Publications

Gupta, Y., Habeeb, R., Singh, M., Barker, E., Singh, V. (2020). Gender Contribution in Household Management of Water and its Impact on Residents of Dholak Basti Slum in Haldwani City, Uttarakhand. wH2O - The Journal of Gender & Water, Volume-7 Artcile-5, The Water Center, University of Pennsylvania, USA. (DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.31160.70404)

Habeeb R., Gupta Y., Chinwan, H., Barker E. (2019), Assessing Urban Water Insecurity due to Changing Climate and Demographic Pattern in Haldwani City, Uttarakhand: A GIS based Spatial Analysis. Journal of Geo-visualization and Spatial Analysis. Springer Nature, Switzerland. (DOI: 10.1007/s41651-019-0031-4)

Habeeb R.; Javaid S. (2019). Social Inclusion of Marginal in the Great Climate Change Debate: Case of Slums in Dehradun, India. Sage Social Open, London UK. (DOI: 10.1177/2158244019835924)

Bajracharya, M., Dahal, N., Neupane, K., Singh, V., Habeeb, R. (2019). Urban Water Security Challenges in the Nepal and Indian Himalaya in the Context of Climate Change. Resources and Environment 2019, 9(1): 9-18. Scientific & Academic Publishing, California, USA. (DOI: 10.5923/j.re.20190901.02)

Pandey A, Singh V, Habeeb, R., Singh, M. (2020). Mapping Institutional Landscape for Integrated Urban Water Management in Haldwani City, Uttarakhand. New Angle: Nepal Journal of Social Science & Public Policy, Nepal Policy Research Network. (Article in Press)

Habeeb R. (2017). Analysis of Major Parameters of Smart Cities and their Suitability in Indian Context. Chapter contribution in Book ‘From Poverty, Inequality to Smart City’, Proceedings of National Conference on Sustainable Built Environment, IIT Roorkee, 2015. Springer Singapore (DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-2141-1_6)

Habeeb R.; Lakra H. S. (2016). From City Resilience to Micro-Resilience: Gorakhpur A Case Study. Indian Institute of Town Planners Journal, Volume 13(4).

Habeeb R. (2010). SECMOL : A Trans-Himalayan Odyssey, Case study on vernacular Building Materials And Climate Responsive Architecture in Ladakh. Time, Space & People, August 2010 Issue.