Build4People - Research for a better Quality of Urban Life
“Build4People: Enhancing Quality of Life through Sustainable Urban Transformation in Cambodia” is a research project in Cambodia funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMFTR). The project consists of local research institutions and partner organizations from Germany, including INKEK. The Goal of Build4People is to achieve sustainable urbanization in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, through measures such as raising public awareness and developing sustainable building solutions.
Together with our partner university, the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), we are working on the subproject "WP#5: Urban Climate". Specific objectives were (1) to improve the quality of urban planning and building design through meso- and micro-scale climate analyses and (2) to improve outdoor thermal comfort and air pollution through the use of urban climate recommendations and analyses. An urban climate map that takes into account the effects of the urban climate in Southeast Asia was created. Based on this informal tool, a strategy was developed that includes recommendations on climate mitigation, climate adaptation, and land use management.
INKEK as part of the B4P "WP#5: Urban Climate" travelled to Cambodia’s capital to participate in several small and large projects locally:
Urban Climate Conference
Together with the Cambodian Institute for Urban Studies (CIUS) we successfully held an urban climate conference at Sunway Hotel in Phnom Penh. The occasion for the conference was the presentation of the urban climate map, which was developed in WP#5 as one of the key milestones of the B4P project.
The map received consistently positive feedback from the municipal administration, planning and architecture firms. Following presentations by Prof. Dr. Lutz Katzscher (INKEK), Dr. Tep Makathy (CIUS), Bunleng Se (RUPP), and Rolf Messerschmidt (WP#3), a workshop provided deep insights into the experiences of local actors with urban climate issues. We would like to thank the participants again for the constructive and productive discussion! INKEK also sincerely thanks Dr. Tep Makathy for his support before and during the conference. His knowledge and moderation skills led to a vibrant discussion on urban climate in Phnom Penh.
Cooperation with RUPP
Several meetings took place to organise the cooperation between the RUPP (Royal University of Phnom Penh) and INKEK for climatological research. Opportunities for model validation through measurements in Phnom Penh were planned and a measuring device was exchanged between INKEK and RUPP. The measuring device is capable of performing and storing georeferenced air temperature measurements. Geography students at RUPP will test whether it is more practical to walk or cycle for the measurements show the distribution of air temperature across various transects within Cambodia's capital. The measurements will contribute to the validation of the urban climate map and further microclimate simulations. The participation of RUPP master's students in the B4P project was also discussed.
Ecocity Transition Lab
INKEK successfully participated in the annual Ecocity Transition Lab (ECTL), in cooperation with Borey Peng Huoth at Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh. As part of the ECTL the urban climatic map was discussed and presented to a broad audience.