Low Carbon Construction Training Report

Transcription

1 Low Carbon Construction Training Report Policy Makers Madhya Pradesh 7 th February 2013

2 Contents 1. Background Training Approach Training Process... 3 Introductory Session... 3 Session I: Current Scenario... 4 Session 2: Strategy for Change... 6 Session 3: Group Discussion Observations and Lessons Learnt Participation: Sessions: Evaluation: Annexure 1 : Agenda Annexure 2 : List of Participants

3 1. Background A workshop on Low Carbon Construction was held on 7 th February 2013 at the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal. The workshop was organized in collaboration with the Development Alternatives Group, New Delhi and supported by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), UK. The two day workshop aimed to orient policy makers towards low carbon construction concepts while designing buildings in semi-arid regions like Madhya Pradesh. The workshop was attended by over 25 policy makers from departments like geology, forestry, environmental planning, rural engineering, roads and rural development, etc. from Madhya Pradesh. Climate change is a reality today. The impacts of climate change have been felt in varying degrees in different geo-climatic regions across the globe. The construction sector particularly shares an intertwined relationship with climate change. The construction sector meets one of our basic needs i.e. habitat and shelter. Buildings are constructed to shelter people from the worst of weather and climate. Building construction and operation activities have extensive direct and indirect impacts on the environment as the sector is very resource intensive. The sector also contributes substantially to national Green House Gas (GHG) emissions at about 22 %. On the other hand. the impacts of changing climate are keenly felt by the sector. Design and construction of buildings need to ensure climate resilience to resist climatic extremes of uncomfortably hot or cold temperatures, high velocity winds and intense precipitation. An increased tendency of extreme climatic events places additional demands of durability and performance on buildings. The practices in the construction sector of Madhya Pradesh that aggravate climate change need to curb their impact on the local environment by, Reducing ecologically detrimental methods of sourcing building materials. Using more energy efficient construction technologies. Ensuring minimum amounts of energy used in the operation of buildings constructed. The Government of India has recognised the need Figure 1 : Workshop Initiatives for action in the Low Carbon, Climate Resilient (LC- CR) sector. However, there is a lack of attention towards the 70 million strong rural spaces and small towns which are emerging as areas of high growth. This training workshop aimed to bridge this gap by generating knowledge support for LC-CR solutions for small towns and rural spaces to build capacity for Building Professionals. 2

4 The workshop is part of a larger initiative that seeks to generate knowledge support for LC-CR solutions for small towns and rural spaces by building capacity at three levels, viz. Policy Makers, Building Professionals and Artisans. It also attempts to influence policies and building practices in response to imminent climate change trends and need for low carbon construction. The objective of the workshop were to : Understand concepts and dynamics of climate change and the construction sector Learn concepts of carbon and energy intensity Learn about passive design strategies and alternate building material Know about different policies influencing low carbon construction 2. Training Approach The approach adopted for the training workshop was participant centred, with an emphasis on exploring synergies and meeting gaps. In order to bring conceptual clarity on subject matter, expert lectures supported with power point presentations were followed by discussions with the participants. Case studies were used to highlight good practices on a global and national level. A group exercise further encouraged discussion and sharing of ideas to identify priority areas for the state. 3. Training Process Introductory Session After a brief welcome by Kriti Nagrath, DA, Prof.A K Dharni, IIFM, gave the group an introduction to the program as well as to IIFM s link to the workshop. He spoke about the problem of awareness and knowledge in the field of climate change and its impacts both at a global and local level. He stressed on the role of developed and developing countries in contributing to the problem as well in dealing with it through their respective strategies. He pointed out the importance of such a workshop focussing on low-carbon construction that brings together a mixed group of professionals from varying backgrounds and creating an occasion for learning. Climate change - it is appropriate to call it an umbrella problem. because if you name any problem which mankind is facing today, it has its roots in climate change. Whether it is drought, whether it is floods, decrease in agricultural productivity, health problems due to pollution and vector borne diseases. A K Dharni, IIFM Figure 2: Prof. Vaswani s welcome address 3

5 Rita John, DA, introduced the training program with a background of the overall CDKN project. She spoke of the need for such an initiative in the Indian context where large gaps in rural and urban housing exist and how if current rates and modes of constructions are to continue in a highly energy intensive manner the impacts of that on our climate will be felt. Key objectives of the training program as well as all the overall aims of the project were summarized. Climate change is not something that is only being discussed in forums like this.. but every common person is getting affected in terms of health, food, etc. And therefore, we are not talking about something that belongs to a particular class or group of people. in fact, the entire ecosystem is getting affected. Dr. Rekha Singal, IIFM This was followed by brief introductions of all the participants explaining their areas of expertise along with why each of them was interested in the issue of LC-CR construction. Dr. Rekha Singal Dean, IIFM, addressed and welcomed the group next. Speaking of how usually policy makers, NGOs and architects work separately she pointed out IIFM is the right place to have such a diverse discussion and interaction between professionals from various fields and that unless people from different backgrounds interact nothing can be taken forward. She spoke of how the workshop would provide many points on how to carry forward this agenda at the implementation level. Session I: Current Scenario Prof. Suprava Patnaik, IIFM, took up the first session by defining climate change, who and it is affecting and how. She spoke of specific examples of climate change impacts The lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as an excuse to postpone action when there is a threat of serious or irreversible damage - Prof. Suprava Patnaik, IIFM in terms of natural disasters, geological changes, with a focus on developing countries where vulnerability is much more. After defining basic terms like weather and climate, she explained climate change in terms of the scientific process of greenhouse gases production and its balance that is to be maintained. Threats predicted and the overall risk to India were spoken about. Sandeep Arora, SPA Bhopal, spoke about the link between the construction sector and climate change. Basic concepts of the energy use of a building was elaborated upon in terms of embodied energy and operational energy. He spoke about these energy requirements in correlation to how buildigns need to respond to climate. The crux, he said, lay in not dealing with the average climate but in developing and manging resources to respond to extremes. He spoke of the importance of looking back to vernacular architecture in deriving design strategies in dealing with climate responsiveness, but in combination with modern Figure 3 Mr. Sandeep Arora conducting Session 1 4

6 If conditions get worse, with the help of solar passive architecture there is a certain limit within which you can control the conditions, but in extremes we do need some support from mechanical air-conditioning. If that gets minimised, that s when we can say the process is complete. So in a way, we minimise emissions and at the same time we also design systems to deal with the changes that are happening Sandeep Arora, SPA Bhopal systems, catering to modern needs. The presentation triggered a big response from the participants leading them to ask many queries and interact with each other. Questions rose about the advantages of fly ash brick production and why in spite of being a way to dispose off industrial waste is still not popular. The discussion touched upon the advantages of use, issues with production and construction, etc. Some of the points raised were on the reluctance in use. Flyash is available now for free because it is a problem now for the department to dispose off. But nobody will take it over here. Local architects are more bothered with beautification of buildigns than energy concerns and they do not use the green concept. Need for capacity building of architects to provide low energy design soultions. Environmental auditors should be developed. A mindset change is required to bring about edsired results. In states like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa, flyash is being used and it has almost completely replaced red brick. But this change has taken it s time in coming. It s not an overnight change. The stress in terms of material use should be on where the material is sourced from and its efficient use. While there are current examples of projects being built, where though there is an initiative to look into these things, there isn t enough stress to make it mandatory. An interesting example was raised by a participant, of how well-thought of policy measures are of utmost importance. She spoke of how the Government of India had banned the use of timber door and window frames, hence creating a market for steel frames. In the long run, this, though intended to aid afforestation, has resulted in the wide spread use of a high energy intensity material like steel. Had proper schemes for the use of fast growing timber in a manner that could be sustainably regenerated, using timber frames today would have been cheaper than steel frames and without harming the environment. Kriti Nagrath, DA summed up the discussion by pointing out that so far the issues that are to be addressed had been recognised and raised, that they would be discussed further in the context of actual policies in place already in the state of MP and how they could be carried forward. Kriti Nagrath, DA, then took up the next presentation covering the existing policy framework for Low Carbon - Climate Resilient (LC-CR) construction in the context of Madhya Pradesh. She spoke at length about policies at a national level that promote LC-CR development. Talking about LC-CR initiatives Figure 4 Kriti Nagrath, DA conducting Session 1 5

7 in the construction sector she spoke of how the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC) tries to bridge the gap between the latest technological developments in low carbon techniques and actual practice. Narrowing down the discussion to the context of Madhya Pradesh, a number of existing policies and initiatives in the state were touched upon. The social housing schemes within the state like the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Rural Housing Mission were mentioned. The local The current building codes only focusses on the building design. So it will only look at aspects of heating and cooling in the building. It might stretch it to look at water harvesting and recycling within buildings. But if the environmental audit has to happen, it has to go beyond only the energy requirement of operating the building. It has to look at how the building being constructed in the first place what technologies and materials have been used. Zeenat Niazi, DA problem areas like water and waste land management to prevent drought, sustainable regeneration of forests, non-detrimental sourcing of building material and re-use of industrial waste was touched upon. The prevalent use of industrial waste like fly-ash in building materials was spoken about with case studies of Germany and China showcasing how fly-ash use could be maximised further with the help of well-integrated systems within the construction sector. The current status of prevalence of LC-CR construction in the building codes and energy rating systems was brought to light. The key points relevant to the topic listed in the draft Madhya Pradesh State Action Plan on Climate Change were laid out. In conclusion, synergies and gaps within the system were pointed out, indicating areas where action needed to be taken to make LC-CR construction more mainstream in the context of Madhya Pradesh. Session 2: Strategy for Change Pankaj Khanna, DA, gave the next presentation on LC-CR strategies for Madhya Pradesh. This was an interactive session with many inputs of participants along the presentation. After defining what all low carbon climate resilient construction is and can be with a series of examples, he explained the concepts of carbon footprints, embodied energy and operational energy of buildings. He touched on the findings of a Low Carbon Society Scenario Bhopal 2035 study done by MANIT and SPA, Bhopal to project a realistic image of the issues and threats to be faced in the future. He spoke at length about what climate responsive design meant in the context of Madhya Pradesh and what appropriate alternate technologies and materials are usable in the state. Modern examples of solar passive designs in semi-arid regions were given and a summation of passive strategies for the climate was given. Figure 5 Pankaj Khanna, DA conducting Session 2 Using a detailed example of a single brick wall, he talked about the environmental impact of each material used. Much 6

8 stress was laid on the use of local materials, limiting the use of high energy materials like cement and steel and re-use of industrial waste like fly-ash in building materials following the examples of other states where it is quite prevalent. A series of LC-CR building materials and systems relevant to the context of Madhya Pradesh were elaborated upon. Questions were raised about the skill level required by masons to construct using these technologies by some participants. Providing adequate skill for such construction was recognised as a must with some participants speaking of their experiences with such skill developing mason trainings already being conducted in the state. Another point raised in the discussion was whether such trainings are indeed useful if the government doesn t include such technologies in its schedule of rates. It was agreed upon that unless buildings constructed don t specify and use such technologies, the skill imparted to the masons are meaningless. Work done by the MPRRDA in promoting such technologies and materials was showcased. Parallels were drawn with the climate change mitigation and adaption strategies employed in the United Kingdom, showing how initiatives and policies at various levels need to come together to bring down emissions. Lastly, action areas were discussed summing up the existing gaps in the system. Environmental impact assessment needs to be taken up in a holistic manner. Setting energy performance targets and mandatory demonstration of low carbon construction in public sector buildings are another area to be looked into which could lead to quality control and standardization of LC-CR technologies. Capacity building at all levels in the construction sector was discussed and along with synergy between various schemes that have similar aims if such efforts are to have tangible positive impacts. Session 3: Group Discussion In this session the participants were divided up into 3 groups under the heads Materials and technology Design and planning Capacity building, ensuring that professionals from relevant fields were allotted to each. They were given the following points to cover in their group discussions: What are the action points required to ensure policy to practice connect? Who are the key stakeholders in this process? o Which department can take the lead? o Which departments need to support them? What are the institutional and capacity gaps in the current scenario? Nowadays we have mechanised or semi-mechanised systems of construction reducing the amount of skill required by masons. But in reality this is a negative and it is in fact the responsibility of policy makers to ensure skill development schemes for masons are run in the state. In fact, to reduce emissions, we should be looking at construction that requires higher skill and think of mechanisms to provide that skill. Zeenat Niazi, DA 7

9 o o Are there mechanisms to address these points? Are they equipped to deal with LCCR concerns? This session led to much debate and discussion between group members and the outputs of each discussion were presented to the entire group including a panel of eminent stakeholders. The Design and Planning group s presentation covered the following points: Government buildings should have LC-CR features. The schedule of rates should include LC-CR building materials and they should be specified in government projects to begin with. Town and country planning department and Urban development department should take the lead and a regulatory authority should be formed to formulate guidelines and rules and monitor implementation The main stakeholders in ensuring LC-CR building Figure 5: 3 Groups discussing materials get incorporated into mainstream construction would be the T&C department, Urban Development department, development authorities like Panchayats and rural development departments, public works departments, Housing Board, Electricity department, banks and other financial institutions, schools and higher education department, technical educations institutions, builders and developers. Rebates from banks for using LC-CR construction supported by subsidies from the government. Other incentives like more taxation for energy intensive construction and reduction in the same if LC-CR construction is carried out. Prizes and rewards should be decided and given out for innovation in this field by the government. Figure 6: Participant presenting group work outputs apacity building needs to happen all levels, because currently even though there exists much technical knowhow, the various agencies involved aren t able to function together to work on it. In the long term, the role played by educational institutions in training young professionals to enter their fields equipped with knowledge about low carbon construction is very large. But other than this, for immediate change, short term courses to educate professionals currently in the field are necessary. 8

10 There is a need for political will and public faith in any plan for it to be carried forward and for this audio-visuals to make people aware of the issues at hand and change current attitudes should be sent forth. Scientifically conducted research inputs tailormade for the Indian environment and climate are a must. Green building concepts exist in the current building codes but are only recommendatory. They should now become mandatory. Guidelines need to be given for this. Design and planning for existing building stock needs to be considered, too, alongside the construction of new buildings. The Materials and Technology group s presentation covered the following points: The use of soil, being a major resource used in making bricks, is a major concern and the systems of usage and production needs to be made efficient and cleaner. Clean brick production and the used compressed earth blocks should be the way forward, under the lead of the State Industry department and local panchayats. Also alternatives to the use of soil need to be looked into. Flyash brick use is not as prevalent in spite of research having proven it s adantages and utility. Madatory use needs to be specified by the MoEF, through local bodies, not just in the current 10 km radius of a powerplant but even beyond it. Regional use of local materials need to be promoted through incentives. And de-incentivization and possibly taxation of materials brought from far away could be seen as another strategy to ensure local material usage. Figure 6: Group work output of Capacity Building group Research and development done on new materials and techniques need to reach the grass root level of the construction sector. Updating building section departments in urban local bodies through capacity building is a must in accordance with current issues and challenges. Water recharging systems need to be made mandatory and strictly checked in all building systems. Potential in solar and wind energy in MP needs to be recognized and harnessed and used in buildings. Electricity audits are necessary in all new construction. The Capacity building Group s presentation covered the following points: 9

11 Ministers who formulate policies need to be provided the required exposure to what changes need to be brought to the current systems in place in the construction sector. Best practise exposure visits need to be done in all govt. bodies concerning the construction sector. Benefits of the policy to the local population in terms of social, economic and financial benefits need to be explained to local bodies. The issue that we are discussing today is important for both private sector as well as government sector. For the private sector this will not catch up unless it is costeffective... and technologies that are cost effective have been best accepted by the common man Mr Mangesh Tyagi, Chief guest Sub-engineers, masons and arisans need to be provided information and training on new technologies and construction systems. Training of trainers need to be done to carry it out at a grass root level. Capacity building of media personnel to propagate ideas of LC-CR construction and make people aware of a low carbon lifestyle. Also, they need to made aware of the options available to them as an alternative to conventional energy intensive construction techniques. Knowledge gaps need to identified and the right instuitions(educational, NGOS, etc) need to formulate processes to address these gaps amongst various groups. A diverse panel consisting of Prof. Manmohan Kapshe, Zeenat Niazi, Prof A K Dharni, Prof A K Patil, Mr Lokendra Thakkar provided individual inputs on each of the group work outputs and then addressed the gathering with individual briefs of LC-CR issues at Policy and planning level. Mr Lokendra Thakker, EPCO said he would be happy to include the material developed as part of the State Knowledge Cell on Climate Change.The chief guest, Mr. Manish Tyagi, addressed the group, appreciating the relevance and need for such a workshop. With a brief Vote of Thanks from Kriti Figure 7: Panel discussion Nagrath, DA, the workshop was concluded. 4. Observations and Lessons Learnt Participation: The workshop exceeded our expectations in terms of participation with over 20 active policy makers attending the workshop. The presence of faculty members and their interest in taking the subject forward will enable these concepts in reaching wider audiences. This will help in building awareness and capacities of the new generation who will enter the field. 10

12 Sessions: The sessions were conducted as planned. The workshop was crunched into a one day session and this saw good participation. Evaluation: Pre and post evaluation were planned to assess the impact of the trainings on the participants. The pre forms were distributed at the beginning of the workshop. The feedback showed that the group work session was very well appreciated. The feedback on the other aspects of the training is given below Overall worshop Extent of achieving workshop aims 1 (minimal effect) 2 3(moderate effect) 4 5(highly effective) Table 1: Overall workshop experience evaluation The challenge Carbon footprint Design guidelines Case studies Policy Linkages Group work 1(of little use) 2 3(moderately useful) 4 5(highly useful) Table 2: Workshop content evaluation 11

13 Trainer's methodologies (exercises, group work, case studies) Trianer's style (facilitative, participtory, lecturing) Trainer's knowledge and experience (examples given, reflections) Printed materials (handouts, workbooks) Visual aids (flip charts, power point, video) 1 (minimal effect) 2 3(moderate effect) 4 5(highly effective) Table 3 : Training methods evaluation Workshop structure Adequate time for each topic Enough time to practice covered topics Content relevant to participant's work and life 1 (strongly disagree) 2(disagree) 3(neutral) 4(agree) 5(strongly agree) Table 4 : Learning process evaluation Venue Workshop Workshop 1(bad) organization 2 3(OK) information 4 5(good) Table 5: Evaluation of organization and logistics 12

14 5. Annexure 1 : Agenda Workshop on Low Carbon Climate Resilient Construction for Policy Makers 7th February 2013 Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal Agenda Time Session Details 09:30-10:00 Registration 10:00-10:30 Welcome DA Welcome Address Introduction of Particpants Workshop Introduction Inaugural Address Vote of Thanks IIFM Participants DA IIFM IIFM SESSION 1: CURRENT SCENARIO 10:45-11:00 The Challenge IIFM 11:00-11:30 Policy Framework for LC CR Growth DA 11:30-12:00 Building Sector and Climate Change SPA SESSION 2: STRATEGY FOR CHANGE 12:00-01:00 Low Carbon Climate Resilient Strategies DA 01:00-01:30 Group Work SESSION 3: GROUP WORK 02:30-04:00 Group Work Exercise Participants SESSION 4: VALEDICTORY 04:00-05:30 Welcome to Chief Guest & Dignitaries DA Group Work Presentation Participants Panel discussion Chief Guest Address Brief of LC-CR issues at Policy and Planning level Vote of Thanks DA 13

15 6. Annexure 2 : List of Participants S.N. Name Organization ID 1 Shweta Asati Rural Engineering Services shwetaasati09@gmail.com 2 Nooper Vishwakarma Rural Engineering Services noopur_vish@sify.com 3 Ar. Kiran Patidar Rural Engineering Services krp_patidar@yahoo.com 4 Smt. Usha Choudhary SDO RES Gwalior usha_choudhary@rediffmail.com 5 Ajay Tiwari MP Housing & Infra. Dev. Board ajaytiwari2459@gmail.com 6 M. K. Sahu MP Housing & Infra. Dev. Board mk_sahu26@rediffmail.com 7 S. D. Pendse MPRRDA Bhopal sdpebdse.91063@yahoo.co.in 8 Akhilesh Chourey Mineral Resources Deptt. chourey.akhilesh@yahoo.in 9 Priyanka Mehra Rural Engineering Services priyankamanitian@gmail.com 10 Sanjeev Kumar Verma Rural Engineering Services sanjeev.v007@gmail.com 11 Ashok Kumar Mishra S.E, WRD ashokmishra395@gmail.com 12 A.K Dharni IIFM akdharni@iifm.ac.in 13 Alok Agarwal Project Uday, Gomp Bhopal alok070@yahoo.co.in 14 Ajay Kumar Nagaria MPRRDA Bhopal gmtdbmprrda@rediffmail.com 15 Parvez Hosaih CM Housing Mission MPRRDA Bhopal 16 Supriya Pendke Directorate Town of Country Planning MP Bhopal supriypendke@yahoo.co.in 17 Smt Sangeeta Garg Town & country Planning sangeeta1960@gmail.com 18 Prof Amitash Pandey IIFM Bhopal apandey@iifm.ac.in 19 Adarsh Shrivastava MP Forest Dept. JFM adarshshrivastava26@yahoo.com 20 Dr. Deepak Kumar Tripathi IDC, MPRRDA Bhopal researchenviro@gmail.com 21 Saransh Bajpai MP CDM Agercy saransh.bajpai@gmail.com 22 Manish Singh EPCO, Bhopal manish@epco.in 23 O P Dwivedi - Dy. Director Directorate of Geology and mining Govt. of MP podw56@gmail.com 24 Suprava Patnaik IIFM spatnaik@iifm.ac.in 25 A K Patil IIFM 26 Kriti Nagrath Development Alternatives knagrath@gmail.com 27 Zeenat Niazi Development Alternatives zniazi@devalt.org 28 Rita John Development Alternatives ritazpost@gmail.com 29 Pankaj Khanna Development Alternatives pkhanna@devalt.org 30 Sandeep Arora SPA, Bhopal sarora@spabhopal.ac.in 31 Mammohan Kapse SPA, Bhopal mkapshe@spabhopal.ac.in 32 Mangesh Tyagi State Planning Commission mangeshtyagi123@yahoo.co.in 33 Lokendra Thakker EPCO lokendrathakkar@yahoo.com 14

16 Funded by : This document is an output from a project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Netherlands Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS) for the benefit of developing countries. However, the views expressed and information contained in it are not necessarily those of or endorsed by DFID or DGIS, who can accept no responsibility for such views or information or for any reliance placed on them. This publication has been prepared for general guidance on matters of interest only, and does not constitute professional advice. You should not act upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining specific professional advice. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication, and, to the extent permitted by law, the entities managing the delivery of the Climate and Development Knowledge Network do not accept or assume any liability, responsibility or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting, or refraining to act, in reliance on the information contained in this publication or for any decision based on it. Copyright Climate and Development Knowledge Network Development Alternatives 2013