The Light Millennium Global Presented In Partnership With IGEN ENERGATHON 2024 #IGENEnerGathon2024
Report on the Recommendations and Solutions of the Session-2: Sustainable Cities: From Challenges to Solutions, presented on May 18, 2024.

SUSTAINABLE CITIES: FROM CHALLENGES TO SOLUTIONS

The LMGlobal.Org proudly presented a panel as a part of the very exciting and challenging IGEN EnerGathon2024 on May 18, 2024, in support of Earth Day, SDG-7: Clean-Renewable & Affordable Energy For All, in connection with the SDG-6, SDG-7, SDG-9, and particularly in connection with the SDG-11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable toward cumulatively contributing to the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda at large.

As the title of the session indicates, each panelist focused on SDG-11 “Sustainable Cities” as the core theme of this session which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

Without water, there is no life, without electricity there is no human advancement, without SDG-9, there are no technological and scientific advancements, yet all of these stand on the SDG-15: Life on Earth. In this wider context, each speaker presented one of the above-referred SDGs in correlation with other corresponding SDG(s).

The speakers of the sessions are Assistant Prof. Dr. Ozgun Arin, Dr. Dahlia Sabri, Mehmet Toprak Cilizlar, and Bircan Ünver, who also moderated the session. Asst. Prof. Dr. Arin delivered a presentation titled, “Sustainability Approaches Through Landscape Design Reading”, Mehmet Toprak Cilizlar presented, “From Single Home to Sustainable Cities of the World”, Dr. Dahlia Sabri, “Water For Energy for Sustainable Cities”, and Bircan Ünver delivered, “Sustainable Cities and Peaceful Communities through #ICTs, #SDG6, and #SDG7” titled speech.

Below are the presented recommendations and solutions at the IGEN EnerGathon 2024 based on each presentation or speech toward “Sustainable Cities”.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SOLUTIONS

Asst. Prof. Dr. ÖZGÜN ARIN, Istanbul Okan University Department of Architecture as Assistant Professor Doctor.
Title: Sustainability Approaches Through Landscape Design Reading

1. Considering that architecture and landscape design are directly interrelated disciplines, the building/building complex must be planned together with its surroundings (open spaces) during the project and implementation processes of architectural design studies.

2. Considering the aim of “sustainability” in landscape design studies, design approaches that minimize water and energy consumption should be developed.

3. The application of alternative approaches that support food production in architectural design should be encouraged.

4. Sustainable design approaches in architectural and landscape design should be managed by the relevant institutions/organizations and design approaches that prioritize user comfort should be generated.

Dr. DAHLIA SABRI is a Board member at IWRA and Chair of the IWRA-Egypt Chapter
 
Title: Water for Energy for Sustainable Cities

• Improve wastewater treatment efficiency to reduce pollutant loads and increase water reuse and recovery of useful by-products.

• Create enabling environments consisting of water management legislation, enhanced human and institutional capacity, and strong political will to enforce regulations and penalties.

• Energy plays an instrumental role in the three dimensions of sustainable development. Energy access can close equity gaps and lift disadvantaged communities out of poverty (social dimension); clean energy can protect vulnerable ecosystems and avert dangerous climate change (environmental dimension); and dependable energy supplies and transparent pricing structures can preserve macroeconomic stability (economic dimension).

• Expanding access to clean water and energy sources while mitigating greenhouse gases (GHGs) is essential for sustainable cities.

• Engage with the private sector to stimulate investment in renewable energy and green hydrogen production.

• Capacity building workshops and training are essential to the transfer of knowledge on innovative water and energy technologies.

• Cities will play a pivotal role in determining whether the Sustainable Development Goals realize their transformational potential.

• Many transformative solutions to water, energy, and other core sustainability challenges lie in cities (SDGs 6 and 7).

MEHMET TOPRAK CILIZLAR, Pursuing a Master of Science Degree at Istanbul Technical University. Title: “From Single Home to Sustainable Cities of the World”

“HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) systems are the most energy-consuming systems in the house. sustainable sources like sun, ground, and air should be used. These also can be found anywhere on the Earth. In our design, Team Deeply High uses the natural phenomenon for passive indoor ventilation. Our suction chimney system just uses negative and positive air pressure to aerate indoors passively.

“Fresh water sources are vanishing off the face of the earth exponentially. So, we have to find a balance between what we have and what we need. Based on this understanding we have to arrange our habits, routines, etc. With the example of Team Deeply High house water management system, with on-site separation, separately collected wastewater water is used for different purposes. In our design, we use yellow water to grow algae, brown water for biogas production, and grey water -after proper treatment- to use again in-house and for irrigation.

“It just cannot be thought just humans it is also needed to consider biotic and abiotic counterparts in the environment. Additionally, it must be thought about social and economic aspects of life. So, the circle needs to be closed as the team Deeply High does in their design. Versitale rooftop gardens can be installed on any rooftop so that local food production, biodiversity, rain harvesting systems, PV systems, socializing environment, and circular economy can be supported.”

Bircan ÜNVER, M.A., Moderator/Speaker, TV Producer, Originator, Founder-President & Head Rep. of The Light Millennium, Charitable Global Human Advancement Organization (LMGlobal.Org) to the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UNDGC).
Title: Sustainable Cities and Peaceful Communities through #ICTs, #SDG6, and #SDG7

1. ICT infrastructure must be based on human advancements and eco-system friendly.

2. Half of the investment resources, funds, and existing capacity must be channeled toward digital literacy and human advancements.

3. All wars must END to speak even talking about in a true sense of sustainability and equality and human advancements.

4. The human race should not be forced too much into the digital world unless everyone is empowered through digital literacy and the social, economic, and digital gaps are closed on the individual, community country, and global levels.

5. ICTs/new tech should not add on to the old system/infrastructure but a newly eco-system-friendly design that is also resilient to all forms of natural disasters including earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, etc.

In conclusion, human advancement should NOT be sacrificed versus mainly profit-motivated purpose through ICTs, human advancement MUST be at the center. In this line, also investment in Artificial intelligence should not take over and channel from peoples/communities and nations advancements.

In this context, Challenges and opportunities are still huge and almost on an equal level if not against human advancement, yet!

Special Thanks To: Prof. L. Ramesh, President, IGEN
Dr. Zahira Cavid, Head of the Planning Committee of the 2024 IGEN EnerGathon Dr. Anuradha P., Coordinator of the session
Pious Niranjan, Head of the Design, 2024 IGEN EnerGathon 

Hashtags #IgenEnergathon2024, #OzgünARIN, #BircanÜnver, #DrDahliaSabri, #MToprakCilizlar, #SDDG11, #SDG15, #SDG7, #SDG9, #SustainableCities, #Recommendations, #Solutions,

This report compiled by Bircan Ünver, LMGlobal.Org