Ranchi Urban Lab

RANCHI URBAN LAB

Fostering integrated approaches at the region, city, and settlement scales

Integrated Design (INDÉ) in collaboration with Mahila Housing Sewa Trust (MHT) conducted the third India
Urban Land at Ranchi (19-22 July 2022) with a thematic focus on ‘Water Resilience: Fostering Integrated Approaches at the Region, City, and Settlement Scales’. The Lab brought together participants from diverse backgrounds- architecture, planning, public policy, and social sciences-engaged in both research and practice. This participant diversity led to the emergence of innovative and multi-disciplinary perspectives during the very engaging four days of the Lab. Expert sessions, site visits, and hands-on working sessions helped the participants in developing water resilient approaches and solutions that combined traditional knowledge and lived experiences at the grassroot level, with policy and technical expertise.

WHY RANCHI ?

Tribal Settlements

Traditional societal rituals and customs

Ecosystem Dependency

Communities continue to rely on ecosystems for their livelihood

Haphazard Development

Ghettoisation of tribal hamlets and

unplanned development disrupting the socio-cultural landscape

OBJECTIVES OF THE LAB

The Ranchi Urban Lab anchors itself in the conceptual philosophy of IWRM (Integrated Water Resource Management) and IUWM (Integrated Urban Water Management) to promote water resilience at the regional, city settlement, and settlement scales. The Lab aspires to become a platform for participants from diverse backgrounds to co produce water resilient approaches and solutions that combine traditional knowledge and lived experiences at the grass root level with policy and technical knowledge. The Lab intends to integrate the three nested scales - Regional, City and Settlement.

LAB PROCEEDINGS

The Lab comprised of expert lectures by eminent personnel working in and for Ranchi around the themes of water resilience, governance, and related subjects. Mr Sudhir Pal (from Manthan Yuva Sansthan), Mr Kumar Premchand (from UNICEF, Ranchi), Dr. Nitish Priyadarshi (expert on water challenges of Ranchi), and Dr. Pawan Kumar Tiwari (from BIT Mesra) guided the Lab through their insightful perspective sessions.

While these laid the context and provided the necessary directions, the Lab aspired to comprehend traditional knowledge and lived experiences of the ones who are most impacted by water challenges through participatory and grounded processes.In line with this vision, the Lab organised site visits to case study settlements where a first-hand engagement with the community and their social, spatial, and ecological ecosystem helped the participants in understanding not just the challenges and issues that these communities face, but their inherent strengths and potentials as well. The ensuing discussions and deliberations in the Lab further fine-tuned their comprehensions and helped the participants in crafting policy, programme,and project level solutions to foster water resilience at different scales.

Listening to the tales of Subranarekha River

Focus Group Discussion at Adivasi Mohalla

Gaining insights into community's lived realties

Mapping community members lived experiences

In conversations with the community members and Parshad (Ward Counsellor) at Bada Ghaghra

The conversations from the field were further deliberated with brain storming sessions among the participants and facilitators. These discussions were put across on the "Thought Board" and ideas were further distilled in the days through peer review sessions and expert lectures. The lab followed the ‘integrated water resources management’ approach in letter and spirit, the potential solutions were mindful of the interconnected nature of not just water challenges (like scarcity, quality, and access), but its causal relationship with land and its attendant governance systems as well.

Please find the lab report here !

Integrated Design's team deliberating on Lab's background and objectives

Mr. Siraz Hirani from MHT talking about MHT's work

PUBLIC EVENT

The Lab ended with a public presentation, where participants presented their findings and recommendations. The public event saw an active participation of relevant stakeholders like Deputy Mayor of Ranchi (Shri Sanjeev Vijaywargiya), Ex-Mayor (Shri Rama Khalko), community members and experts. Following the successful culmination of the Lab, INDE and MHT will be taking forward the recommendations that emerged during the Lab through policy suggestions and project interventions.

Group presentation on their vision for Adivasi Mohalla

Bada Ghaghra group presenting their vision for the settlement

Highlighting insights co-developed with the community to the public

Rama Khalko (Ex- Mayor) reflecting on the presentation and the Urban Lab

Group presenting their comprehension of the settlement collated through conversations with

Community members reflecting on the presentations and deliberating how to move these conve

Raising crucial insights from the field observations and tying these to governance instrum

India Urban Lab, Ranchi Participants and Facilitators

LAB PARTNER

Ranchi Urban Lab is being conducted by Integrated Design in collaboration with Mahila Housing SEWA Trust (MHT). Mahila Housing SEWA Trust ’s mission is to organize and empower women in poor communities to improve their habitat.

PARTICIPANTS