Fuzzy Cognititve mapping to identify the impacts of climate change in Indian megacities

Sunday, 24 January 2010 19:01 Reckien
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Already the IPCC identified “the interactions between climate change and urbanisation” as a key vulnerability of settlements and society, “ most notably in developing countries, where urbanisation is often focused in vulnerable areas, especially when mega-cities and rapidly growing mid-sized cities approach possible thresholds of sustainability”. There is a tremendous need to further investigate forms and levels of impacts (as one level of vulnerability) of climate change on cities and derive possible adaptation options. However, the investigation of impacts as well as effective (and innovative) adaptation options needs to be different from traditional thinking and particularly from western-centred growth patterns and connected beliefs. (Adverse) impacts might be perceived very differently between different social, cultural, etc. settings.

The main purpose of the study is the identification of true, ground-based, locally perceived (adverse) impacts of certain climate events on water (availability), transport, energy (security), food (security) and health. FCMs are very appropriate for our purposes as they detect the perception of people. Another advantage is the possibility to generate knowledge in environments where statistical data is rare, which is a big problem in India. However, the biggest disadvantages are that you don't see impacts that you didn't experience yet or which you don't connect to certain weather events or climate change.

We’ll undertake interviews with students, their families, with researchers and administrators from official bodies, e.g. the water board, the planning board etc. We do that in Delhi and Hyderabad/India and want to compare the different social groups, the two cities, and people’s backgrounds.

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