IIT-Roorkee organises symposium on Himalayas (NSIH) in collaboration with Potsdam University

Roorkee (Uttarakhand) [India], October 13 : IIT Roorkee on Wednesday, organized a Natural Hazard symposium for the Indian Himalayas (NSIH-2022), under the name Co-PREPARE, in collaboration with the University of Potsdam, Germany, IIT Roorkee informed in a release.
Co-PREPARE is a newly established UGC and DAAD-funded project at the department of Hydrology, IIT Roorkee, and Institute for Environmental Sciences and Geography, University of Potsdam, Germany, focussing on natural hazards in the Indian Himalayan region.
As per the release, Co-PREPARE facilitates cooperation between the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) and the University of Potsdam (UP) to build capacity in joint hazard research by sharing expertise and creating new knowledge together.
Directors of both the institutes, namely Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, Director of IIT, Roorkee, and Prof. Axel Bronstert, Director of the Institute for Environmental Sciences and Geography, University of Potsdam, Germany graced the conference.
The planned "Natural-hazard symposium for Indian Himalayas 2022" from October 12 to October 13, 2022 centres on the theme, 'Global Change and Impacts in Mountains'.
"The conference aims to create awareness of multiple research perspectives in the Indian Himalayan region to understand the historical perspective from the experts and how they see future scenarios unfolding. The intention is to create a dialogue among various practitioners and researchers active in the Himalayan region. These discussions will provide guidelines for future research on natural-hazard domains in the Indian Himalayas," the releases stated.
At the event, the keynote talks were given by experts on the emerging hydro-climatological extremes, risk, vulnerability, adaptation, and citizen science in the Indian Himalayan Region.
The panel discussions focused on the Concurrent and compounding multi-hazards in the Himalayan to highlight the multidisciplinary aspect of the natural-hazard domain and the need for collaborative interdisciplinary efforts.
During his inaugural speech, the Director, of IIT Roorkee, Professor Ajit K Chaturvedi, highlighted, "The contemporary world is facing increasingly complex risks. We need technological solutions to address these risks. We endeavour to keep abreast of the challenges and opportunities in the field of disaster mitigation and management. The natural-hazard symposium for Indian Himalayas 2022 seeks to contribute towards the national vision in this domain."
Prof. Dr Axel Bronstert, Director of the Institute for Environmental Sciences and Geography, University of Potsdam, Germany, said, "The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) represents a significant role in the world's mountain ecosystems. And NSIH 2022 is a platform to discuss current research findings and future prospects in the natural-hazard domain in the Himalayan region. Moreover, such interdisciplinary and international collaborative efforts enhance scientific discovery and translational research."
At the event, Professor Brijesh K Yadav highlighted "the 50-year journey of the department and its core strength to handle multi-hazards. The department has a strong international footprint and interdisciplinary approach to advancing science and contributing to society. He further welcomes cooperation to strengthen the presence of the department and institute in the core domain of Natural Hazards and Risks. Developing new skills for early career researchers through hands-on training will bring a fresh perspective to the research domain hence advancing science-communication."
Professor Ankit Agarwal, convener of NSIH2022 also shared the vision of NSIH2022 stating that "NISH aims threefold: discuss the current and future research in the Himalayan region; create a dialogue among stakeholders and develop new skills for early career researchers. The symposium will be a platform where we will hear voices from all the domains involved in natural hazards, i.e., practitioners, scientists, and the younger generation entering this field."
All the dignitaries on the dais released the symposium proceedings and, the inaugural ended with National Anthem, the release stated.