RSD 15 - Data in relation
VIRTUAL EXHIBITION
Transformation
Cool Down Kanpur
Creative awareness campaign for heatwave impacts in Kanpur
KEYWORD
Abhishek Das ¹, Dhanesh Nama ¹, Rupabrata Bhattacharya ¹, Vivek Kant ²
#systemic design #climate change
#campaign #sustainability
1 Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur; 2 Indian Institute of Technology
ABSTRACT
Kanpur, one of India’s densest industrial cities and a major leather-textile hub, faces severe heatwave risks due to rapid urbanisation, industrial emissions, and the declining health of the Ganga basin. This project adopted a systems-oriented design approach, combining climate data analysis with stakeholder research across sectors such as agriculture, mobility, infrastructure, and education. Key challenges identified included limited cooling access, inadequate heat warnings, poor crop storage, and weak occupational safety measures. The outcome is a city-wide awareness campaign promoting heat resilience, public health, and climate action.
CREATIVE PROCESS
We started to frame the system, understanding early global trends such as heatwaves, and narrowed down to city-level impacts based on research literature sources. The potential stakeholders who were linked to the causes and effects of the heatwaves after receiving the results were connected. A quick survey and validation exercise was carried out with users from important stakeholder groups, in order to validate the insights produced by system mapping and secondary research.
IMPLICATIONS AND NEXT STEPS
ZIP analysis was carried out to determine specific regions of intervention. After zooming in on the various problems that the stakeholders were facing as a result of the heatwave, we mapped their relationships and determined the pain points. We focused on several areas, including but not limited to issues related to agriculture, urban population growth, road materials, the automotive industry, the healthcare system, governance and policy levels, and the educational system. We suggested potential initiatives for each sector and area.
References
Saunik, S., & Shaw, R. (2024). Climate Change and Heatwaves in India: Review of Impacts on Public Health, Livelihoods, and Policy. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, 14(11), 650–663. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijecc/2024/v14i114575
Patra, S., Acharya, S. K., Haque, M., & Biswas, A. (2024). Exploring Perceived Weather Uncertainty among Indian Farmers: Insights from Micro-level Analysis and Interpretations. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, 14(5), 424–433. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijecc/2024/v14i54202
Singh, D., Yadav, A., Singh, S., Yadav, R. K., Sen, M., Yadav, A. K., Gehlot, T., Mishra, A., Pandey, V., & Singh, A. K. (2023). Heat Waves and Its Impact on Crop Production and Mitigation Techniques: A Review. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, 13(9), 377–382. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijecc/2023/v13i92243