MEER India Team Participates in Land2Heat Symposium at FLAME University
The MEER India team attended the Land2Heat Symposium at FLAME University in Pune, joining researchers, policymakers and community stakeholders to explore the growing challenge of urban heat in rapidly expanding peri-urban areas.
The symposium formed part of the Land2Heat: Land Transitions, Development Trajectories, and Urban Heat in Peri-Urban Pune research project, led by FLAME University in collaboration with Landstack and supported by the HT Parekh Foundation. Discussions focused on how urbanisation, land-use change, governance and environmental conditions are contributing to increasing heat exposure, and how these challenges can be addressed through better planning and collaboration.
During an interactive session on community perspectives, the MEER India team was invited to share its experience of working directly with communities affected by extreme heat. The team highlighted MEER's field research, community engagement activities and practical cooling interventions, demonstrating the importance of combining scientific research with local knowledge and lived experience.
The symposium also provided valuable opportunities to build new partnerships. FLAME University's research team expressed interest in exploring future collaboration with MEER on field studies, while a journalism faculty member offered to introduce the team to a local organisation seeking partners working on urban heat and climate resilience. In addition, one attendee expressed interest in trialling MEER's reflective cooling materials on a cattle shed to help reduce heat stress for livestock.
Events such as the Land2Heat Symposium play an important role in strengthening collaboration between researchers, governments, communities and organisations working to develop practical solutions to the growing impacts of extreme heat. MEER looks forward to building on these new relationships and supporting future research and community-based cooling initiatives across India.