This research project focuses on climate-impacted populations displaced to cities, where they settle in informal housing, facing increased vulnerabilities. The project aims to map these vulnerabilities using housing inadequacy as an indicator and develop risk reduction strategies. Key activities include creating and testing a risk assessment tool, scaling risk reduction models, vulnerability measurement, and engaging in policy advocacy. The goal is to reduce disaster risks for displaced families, particularly women and girls, through locally-driven actions.

The aim of this project was to provide government officials training on climate change issues, adaptation needs and possibilities. The broad themes for this capacity building included impacts on water resources, agriculture and human health, as well as disaster risk reduction (DRR) and mitigation strategies.

This project aimed to assess the vulnerability of cities and communities to complex disasters in the face of climate change. The project adopted a bottom-up approach focusing on multiple stakeholders at all levels including government officials, PRI representatives, schoolteachers, and community members.

The 2015 Gorkha earthquake was the worst disaster to strike Nepal in 80 years. We were one of four organizations that formed the Owner Driven Reconstruction Collaborative (ODRC), responsible for the reconstruction of 26,912 houses. We provided socio-technical facilitation services in 6 rural and 2 urban municipalities, with a focus on construction technology and design.

This project aimed to build resilience and provide relief after Cyclone Fani caused heavy losses to the coastal communities of Odisha. Mobilizing the fishing community (led by the fisherwomen) and making them the vehicles for delivery was the focus. Differential impact on houses and public infrastructure was studied, and plans were formulated for future resilience.

Guidelines were prepared for converting public buildings into isolation wards, operations and maintenance, lockdown protocols and first responder training. The guidelines were formulated in line with National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and climate factors such as building orientation and roof insulation for different climatic zones were considered.

This project developed approaches to address water-related risks in Assam, particularly floods and erosion along the Brahmaputra, Beki and Buri Dhing rivers. A framework for climate resilience of over 100 vulnerable villages along with implementation plans were formulated. Both were carried out through a participatory approach, in line with existing policies and plans.

Tourist sites by definition have many visitors. As such, if a disaster strikes, the impact is far greater in terms of property and lives lost. The cities of Gaya and Bihar Sharif are gateways to the tourist sites of Bodh Gaya and Nalanda respectively. We prepared comprehensive disaster management plans for both cities, including an AI-assisted risk model that was run in Gaya.

Monitoring the progress of programs is sometimes as important as the program itself. The Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under its Smart Cities Mission to capture the progress made by cities in the preceding year. Case studies on local climate action and community interventions were prepared in this project.

The decline of wetlands reduces resilience against water-related hazards such as floods and droughts. Using wetlands as natural infrastructure for disaster risk reduction (DRR) can go a long way in mitigating hazards and bolstering resilience of local communities. In this project, we worked to restore wetlands in Kanwar basin, Bihar.

In this project, we assisted the Delhi Government in conducting its first ever Green House Gas inventory and setting a clear pathway to a net zero goal. We also worked on a robust adaption plan for unavoidable, increasing climate impacts and disaster risks. The processes focused on detailed studies and extensive stakeholder consultations to arrive at an actionable strategy.

The railway line connecting Kashmir to the rest of India is a project of national importance. Navigating tough terrain, it comprises longer tunnels and higher bridges than have ever been built in the area. A comprehensive disaster management plan for such a line is unprecedented. The plan analyzes hazards and lays down protocols for reducing risk and taking emergency action.

This action research explored the improvement of system efficiency through community actions and frontline health worker effectiveness during COVID in NE India. Nudges that improve catalytic actions in small ways can improve outcomes significantly. The findings of the project showed ways to create high levels of social impact in community resilience through strategic actions.

The Virtual Cadre is a unique and effective governance mechanism in Kerala wherein identified office-bearers across state departments constitute a multi-sectoral team of disaster managers. This ensures better inter-departmental coordination, which has been an elusive goal of disaster management approaches. The focus was on training and capacity building of the Virtual Cadre.

Extreme heat disproportionately affects urban low-income families. Cities are hotter than the countryside, and slums are hotter than other parts of cities. The project demonstrated how women can mobilize, understand weather risks and lead frugal interventions such as cool roofs and street shading that are easily adopted, making their spaces safer from heat-related risks.

Local communities possess valuable traditional wisdom on ways to address their risks. They constantly come up with creative ways to solve their problems. This approach to innovation complements technology and governance to improve the efficiency of humanitarian action. The project identifies and supports such innovations across geographies and co-creates pathways to scale them.

Prefabricated emergency shelters are the global standard and fastest way to put a roof over displaced, homeless families after a disaster. However, a one-size-fits-all approach has been adopted thus far. This project customizes such shelters to local cultural and climatological contexts, tapping into local skills, techniques and materials.

Weather warnings and climate forecasts are usually too complex for end users such as farmers and citizens to fully understand and act upon. Additionally, information is often received from weather stations far away. This project targeted the collection and analysis of local weather data, improving both the understanding of risks and the actions that should be taken as a result.

Climate change is adversely impacting livelihoods across sectors and geographies. An overview of climate impacts, key sector insights, and nuances of how communities face downstream effects was synthesized to help identify priorities for resource allocation. This was done for vulnerable districts to inform our client's social impact investment priorities.