A ten-day workshop by Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) got underway on Tuesday to study the impact of extreme climate events on the citys poorest communities through participatory tools and stakeholder engagement. The Department of Architecture and Planning is leading the initiative with experts, NGOs and citizens mapping floods and heatwaves in vulnerable settlements through participatory GIS and real-time opinion tools. The workshop opened with a session featuring George V Joseph and Lokendra Thakkar, both highlighting the social dimensions of climate risk and mapping for resilience. Phase one of the workshop, running from May 13-16, focuses on assessing heat vulnerability through local knowledge and scientific inputs, emphasising the disproportionate risks faced by low-income groups. Phase Two, planned for September 8-11, will shift the focus to flood vulnerability, a recurring threat in many of the city neighbourhoods during the monsoon season. The final phase on November 4 will present findings to local authorities, aiming to influence policy and guide community-led climate action through grounded, localised data. Workshop coordinators Surabhi Mehrotra, Premjeet Das Gupta and Arshi Parashar aim to foster dialogue and adaptive planning that prioritises those most affected by climate change. Experts attending the event included Prateek Barapatre, Jigyasa Bisariya and SR Azad added depth to the event by sharing field insights and advocating inclusive, sustainable responses. Future stakeholder dialogues are planned to continue identifying local challenges and creating practical, community-owned climate adaptation strategies rooted in on-the-ground realities.

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