Dr Mittul Vahanvati
Lecturer
Lecturer
DSC | School of Global, Urban and Social Studies
Climate Change Transformations Research group
Future Urban Researchers Network
Email: mittul.vahanvati@rmit.edu.au
Campus: Melbourne City
DSC | School of Global, Urban and Social Studies
Climate Change Transformations Research group
Future Urban Researchers Network
Email: mittul.vahanvati@rmit.edu.au
Campus: Melbourne City
Mittul's research focuses on informal settlements or vulnerable communities, for real-world impacts. She engages with UN-bodies, including UN-Habitat, UNEP, UNFCCC, national and local government in Australia and the Pacific as well as non-government organisations. She is one of the lead members in a large multidisciplinary action-research project titled 'Climate Resilient Honiara' (since 2018), funded by the UNFCCC Adaptation Fund and administered by UN-Habitat. She has worked with regional and rural communities in Victoria (Australia) to co-produce their own climate resilience action plan. Currently, she is the Chief Investigator for 'Solomon Islands Shelter Guide' project.
Mittul has over 10 years of industry experience, being trained as an architect. She moved into academia in 2012, when she started PhD at RMIT. She is also a co-founder of a social enterprise - Giant Grass.
At RMIT, Mittul leads the design and development of a suit of Urban Design courses, core to Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) accreditation. She co-leads two research groups within RMIT - Climate Change Transformations Research Group and Future Urban Researchers Network.
The impact of her research partnerships, industry engagement and agile dissemination of research findings in the field of disaster/climate change resilience has led to enhancement of her her emerging external profile as a researcher and a public intellectual.
Mittul's research focuses on resilience to disasters and climate change, of housing and communities, in context of Australasia and the Pacific.
She adopts a co-design of nature-based solutions, community-led approach and knowledge co-production approach. Her field of research sits at the intersection of built environment, disasters + climate change and sustainable design.
Disasters, Climate Change, Resilience, Shelter and Settlements, Build Back Safer, Community-led, Co-design and Systems thinking
Publications
Projects
Awards
Current:
International Journal of Project Management, 35, 802-817
Vahanvati, M. & Mulligan, M. (2017).
Disaster Prevention and Management, 27, 421-446
Vahanvati, M. (2018).
International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, 8, 306-319
Vahanvati, M. & Beza, B. (2017).
$42,866; Category 2 grant
Dr Mittul Vahanvati, Prof Darryn McEvoy, Prof Usha Iyer-Raniga and Deb Kuh
2021
Funded by UNFCCC administered by UN-Habitat - 630,000 with $65,000 allocated to Mittul's team NbS, Category 3 grant
Prof Darryn McEvoy, A.Prof David Mitchell, Dr Serene Ho, Prof Usha Iyer-Raniga, Dr Muhammad Yazid Bin Ninsalam, Dr Ata Tara, Dr Mittul Vahanvati, Dr Tariq Maqsood
2019 - 2020
Funded by the Victorian Government DELWP to the Tarnagulla Alternative Energy Group - $40,000, Category 2 grant
Dr Mittul Vahanvati
2018 - 2019
International funding:
International funding:
State or local government funded projects:
Award date: 16th July 2015
Recipients: Mittul Vahanvati
Made up of fourth year urban planning students, as part of Urban Design Project course, coordinated by Dr. Mittul Vahanvati
Award date: 2021
Recipients: Mittul Vahanvati
RMIT Internal funding
Industry funding
Mittul actively shares her knowledge with public, outside academia and disseminates research findings through the Conversation, public lectures, panel discussions, events (e.g. Sustainable Living Festival), podcast (e.g. Climactic Collective’ podcast) and other Media outlets, both nationally and internationally. These agile modes of communication has enhanced Mittul's international recognition as an expert in disaster resilience and community-led or bottom-up approaches.
So far she has written 11 media publications and undertook five media interviews, including one recognised by RMIT Research in Q1 media for its pathway to, for the Conversation titled, 'Disaster season is here — do you have a Resilience Action Plan? Here’s how the small town of Tarnagulla built theirs' (2020). These opinion pieces have led to two radio interviews, with ABC Radio National and 3CR Community Radio. These opinion pieces haveled to her being invited by a community group – Neighbours United for Climate Action - to lead Citizen Assembly.
She has delivered ten public presentations, including three keynotes and two event proposals. Selected highlights include:
Within RMIT, she actively engages with colleagues by:
External engagement is Mittul's core strength. She is:
Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.
Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.
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