Water as Leverage- Setting the scene for a call for action

Water as Leverage for Resilient Cities Asia Setting the Scene for a Call for Action Content
and wind energy are sources of energy,
although it is unknown how much energy this
provides to the city.
Although India has successfully managed to
supply half a billion people with electricity
since 2000, there are still many ambitions that
are visible at local level in Chennai. Chennai
aspires to increase the amount of energy
generated by sustainable sources. Besides
this, Chennai still experiences frequent
blackouts and parts of the slum population still
have no access to electricity (Chandramouli,
2003). As such, preventing blackouts is a
priority and – especially considering the
fact that Chennai wishes to alleviate social
inequality – supplying electricity to the informal
housing is still a challenge that needs to be
tackled.
Ery system and historical defense systems
(i.e., Fort George). The water temples are
of particular interest, taking the aim of this
publication in consideration. The water temples
of Chennai are known for their ornamental
architecture and intricate sculptural works,
which embody the spiritual meaning of water.
The water temples, together with the many
festivals in the city, attract thousands of
devotees, while tourists visit the water temples
each year as well.
Although the streets of Chennai are vibrant and
there is plenty of public space for people to
gather, the beach of Chennai holds a special
place in the hearts of the population. Marina
Beach is the second largest urban beach in the
world and offers plenty of space and favorable
circumstances for the local population to set
up shops, gather and enjoy their leisure time
(British Council, 2013).
1.1.4
Chennai is a Colorful City
The city is known for its multiculturalism, temple
architecture and music, theater and dance scenes,
culminating in one of the world’s largest cultural
events, the Madras Music Season. Water and
culture are strongly interwoven, as can be seen in
the many temple tanks that function as retention
basins and where the spiritual meaning of bodies of
water is embraced. In addition to these man-made
water elements, hundreds of natural water system
tanks are scattered across the gentle slope that
defines Chennai’s topography, together forming an
enormous potential watershed.
The city presents a very strong social
and cultural identity, with highly inclusive
communities. Chennai was rated in 2015 as
the safest city in India, while it is also one of
the most popular tourist destinations in the
world, ranking 41st in the Global Top 100 City
Destination Ranking according to Euromonitor
International 2013.
Chennai is a colorful and lively city. The city is
known for its multiculturalism and its vibrant
arts scene. Its multiculturalism is reflected in
the fact that, besides English, people speak
French, Portuguese, Dutch, Telugu, Urdu,
Kannada, Bengali, Punjabi and Malayalam.
In terms of religion, about 80% identifies as
Hindu, while Christians and Muslims each
make up 10% of the population (Census of
India, 2001). Regarding the arts, Chennai is
known for its music, theater and dance scenes.
As such, it is no coincidence that one of the
world’s largest cultural events, the five-week
long Madras Music Season, is hosted in
Chennai.
Chennai also has a strong cultural heritage
stemming from its natural systems
management, such as the water temples, the
Most water temples,
that originally served as
water basins as much
as a place to venerate
the spirit of water
bodies, have lost their
utilitarian function and
have become attractive
locations for tourists.
Nowadays, markets are
often stationed around
Chennai’s water temples,
while they may
have lost parts of their
original purpose, they
remain valuable public
spaces, even in contemporary
times.
134 CHENNAI
Urban Dynamics
PART 2/Background Information on the Partner Cities
135