Ennore & Thiruvallur

This is the area to the north of Chennai: a heavy-industries complex along the ecologically-degraded coastline, amid scattered towns and farmlands.

The threats are from multiple climate change pressures, intersecting with a complex and problematic urban expansion.

The opportunities are for a transition - from a chaotic 'anti-eco-urban' to a post-industrial climate-proof eco-region...


The causal system mapping here shows something of the deeper complexity and multiplicity of the situation in Ennore.

The upper part shows the problems and syndromes and impacts, both direct and systemic

The lower part show existing government responses in grey, and potential innovations, synergies and pathways in green. The sketch is a flipchart from live discussion.

Chennai - Ennore - causal system mapping.jpg


For an overview of this wider 'eco-urban-scape', we present here the Peri-cene framework. This cannot represent all the deeper complexity of this case, but it provides a structure for analysis and further debate with stakeholders.

PERI-CENE FRAMEWORK

(20 questions on peri-urbanization, climate change, vulnerability, governance and synergistic pathways)


Peri-Urban

POTENTIAL THEMES & TOPICS
OVERVIEW
Spatial patterns
  • Urban direct expansion
  • Urban / rural fringe & gradient
  • Counter-urbanization effect
  • Urban agglomeration effect
Maps & Indicators
Functional dynamics
  • Population growth & housing
  • Technology & infrastructure
  • Economy & employment
  • Real estate & markets
Maps & Indicators
Social-eco dynamics
  • Social demographics & lifestyle
  • Environment & resources
  • Policy & governance
  • Culture & ethics
Maps & Indicators
Global-local dynamics
  • Internal structures
  • external interactions
  • power dynamics
  • challenges & conflicts
Maps & Indicators

Climate Risk

POTENTIAL THEMES & TOPICS
OVERVIEW
Climate change direct effects
  • temperature
  • precipitation, storm etc
  • coastal effects
Maps & Indicators
Climate direct hazards & impacts
  • wildfire, heatwave, drought,
  • flood, storm, cyclone
  • landslide, sea incursion etc,
Maps & Indicators
Indirect hazards & nexus effects
  • water resources
  • farming & forestry
  • energy & resources
  • ecosystems & microclimates
  • critical infrastructure
Maps & Indicators
Peri-urban impacts on climate
  • CO2 emissions from energy
  • GHG emissions from land-use
  • Land-use & forestry change
  • Carbon storage
Maps & Indicators

Vulnerability

POTENTIAL THEMES & TOPICS
OVERVIEW
Physical sensitivity & capacity
  • Soil & vegetation
  • Topography & stability
  • Settlement form & structure
Maps & Indicators
Techno-economic capacity
  • technical & infrastructure
  • Markets & value effects
  • Employment & livelihoods
Maps & Indicators
Eco-social-cultural capacity
  • Affluence / deprivation
  • Education / communication
  • Cultural issues
Maps & Indicators
Governance adaptive capacity
  • Local government
  • Public services & infrastructure
  • Emergency services
  • Civil & community
Maps & Indicators

Governance

POTENTIAL THEMES & TOPICS
OVERVIEW
Adaptive governance & institutions
  • Public Sector
  • Private Sector
  • Civic Sector
  • Citizens etc
Maps & Indicators
Informal governance & livelihood
  • Informal land-use, settlements
  • Corruption & nepotism
  • Social innovation & enterprise
Maps & Indicators
System resilience & intelligence
  • Social learning & collaboration
  • Social co-creation & mobilization potential
  • System transformation potential
Maps & Indicators

Synergistics

POTENTIAL THEMES & TOPICS
OVERVIEW
Systems / syndromes (present baselines)
  • Main cross-cutting issues: e.g.
  • Airport / port cities:
  • Rural livelihoods:
  • Informal development
Maps & Indicators
Scenarios (future possibilities)
  • Critical themes: (STEEP): e.g.
  • Social cohesion declines
  • AI / IOT emerges
  • Climate change accelerates
Maps & Indicators
Synergies (future ideas, opportunities)
  • Potential ideas, connections, opportunities
Maps & Indicators
Strategies (present pathways, actions)
  • Goals, objectives, targets for ways forward.
Maps & Indicators
Chennai region overview
Chennai region overview
Heavy-industries complex along ecologically-degraded coastline and scattered towns and farmlands
population density & gravity field
population density change
Chennai: built area change
peri-urban zones
Chennai region overview
Chennai region overview
Sea level rise, increase in extreme events - storm, storm surges
mean annual temperature
Flood inundation
peri-urban water systems
Chennai region overview
Chennai region overview
urban eco-social-economic mix in some areas has growing vulnerability
waterways
road & rail networks
literacy rate
Chennai region overview
Chennai region overview
Quasi-government arrangements with industries, limited overview and regulation; mostly panchayat and local governance structures since there are many villages and small towns in this region
government & urban-rural class
Chennai region overview
Chennai region overview
opportunities for transformation - from a disrupted 'anti-eco-city-region' towards a post-industrial eco-region
Zone (a)
Chennai - Ennore
Heavy-industries complex along ecologically-degraded coastline and scattered towns and farmlands
Concentration of heavy industries and public infrastructure (port, power plants etc.) along the coast and medium-to-large scale farming to the west, mid-sized towns in early stages of urbanisation, fishing communities along the coast, middle to large scale farming
low to medium growth in population with small and medium-sized towns and villages: heavy-industries (petrochemicals, fertilisers), power plants and port dominate coastal strip; mostly rural and small-town infrastructure inland: mix of industrial, farming and local livelihoods
rural, small town cultures inland; disenchanted communities closer to urban coastal strip, losing livelihoods and ecologies to industrial heavyweights; sensitive coastal/delta ecology, thriving large-scale farming/paddy cultivation, protected forest areas; plans for economic boost in the region with industrial hubs
high level of inequality, limited options for upward mobility, port and industries connect region to global economies, large-scale farmers include affluent classes from neighbouring state
Zone (a)
Chennai - Ennore
Sea level rise, increase in extreme events - storm, storm surges
Sea level rise, increase in extreme events - storm, storm surges
land lost to sea level rise, coastal erosion, agricultural lands lost to fluctuating extremes
two major reservoirs, a river that drains into the Bay of Bengal and other water bodies that dot the landscape; medium to large-scale farming, protected forest areas
Zone (a)
Chennai - Ennore
urban eco-social-economic mix in some areas has growing vulnerability
coast - deltaic/coastal region heavily degraded from industrial activity; inland - fertile soils along river subject to flooding
large-scale infrastructure subject to risk from SLR and storm surges, coastal erosion
varying levels of affluence amongst farming communities; differences in affluence between inland and coastal fishing communities that range from small boats to large-scale trawlers; ignored part of city with local rebel groups and cultures amongst the youth, highly vulnerable communities
mixed access to infrastructure with many communities deprived of basic access to services
Zone (a)
Chennai - Ennore
Quasi-government arrangements with industries, limited overview and regulation;
Quasi-government arrangements with industries, limited overview and regulation; mostly panchayat and local governance structures since there are many villages and small towns in this region
protests and activism particularly around the plight of fishermen livelihoods, climate change and polluting the ocean
Zone (a)
Chennai - Ennore
from the world's first industrial city-region to the first post-industrial eco-region
Port and heavy-industry cluster/rural livelihoods
Climate change accelerates sea level rise, storm surge: complete loss of habitat and fishing communities/traditions: Industry adopts high-risk infrastructure : social and ecological breakdown
synergies around climate activism and youth rebellion in the region challenging vested interests, reclaiming local livelihoods
using moments of crisis to dial up activism in the region; expanding and exploiting connections with fishermen from other parts and even other states; ensure guided urbanisation (learnings from other regions) with ample focus on landscape and ecosystems

Return to article index