Shillong, The 3-Day Regional Capacity Building Training Programme for Academicians of North-East India on “Inspiring The Mind for Disaster Risk Reducation”jointly organized by North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong and Indian Universities and Institutions Network on Disaster Risk Reduction (IUINDRR-NIDM), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Govt. of India concluded today on 1st November 2023.
The valedictory programme was held at the Auditorium of the Shillong Science Centre, NEHU Campus, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong on the occasion.
The training programme served as a platform for inspiring academicians to take an active role in disaster risk reduction by providing them with information, resources, and a platform for discussion.
The three-day training programme focused on key considerations and strategies required for financial Resilience to Disaster, community-based Disaster Risk Reduction, Disaster Vulnerability Profile of India, Disaster Preparedness Planning and Disaster Management. More than 60 delegates participated in the training program from North-Eastern states of India viz. Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya.
The training programme comprised of lectures by the invited guest from IUINDRR-NIDM as well as faculty from the NEHU fraternity and covered the various topics related to financial Resilience to Disaster, Causes and Impacts of Disasters, Flood Forecasting, Early Warning and Emergency Response through Remote Sensing and GIS.
Application of Geo-informatics in Disaster Management, Disaster Profile of North-East India and Disaster Risk with Climate Variability, Community Mapping/ Risk Analysis, Disaster Vulnerability of India with special reference to Northern regions and states of India.
During a campus assessment exercise, trainees were divided into groups, each assigned a specific topic to explore around the NEHU campus. These topics included the general campus profile with a focus on the architectural and engineering features of campus buildings such as the Science Center, and Cluster classrooms. After conducting their assessments, each group presented their findings, and experts provided valuable suggestions based on these presentations.
The valedictory programme, started with welcome address by Prof. Lucy T.V. Zehol, Dean, School of Human and Environmental Sciences, NEHU, Shillong followed by a short report on this three-day training programme by Prof. Devesh Walia Executive Committee Member, IUINDRR, Head, Geology Department, NEHU.
Prof. Santosh Kumar, Head, IUINDRR & Senior Advisor, NIDM in his concluding remarks mentioned that disaster management planningis essential for reducing the human, economic, and environmental impacts of disasters. It also helps build resilient communities, ensures efficient resource allocation, and facilitates effective coordination among various stakeholders.
Ultimately, it saves lives, reduces suffering, and promotes the well-being of individuals and societies when confronted with emergencies and disasters.
The Chief Guest of the programme Brigadier Vijayant Mahadik, Group Commander of Shillong Group NCC, highlighted that Disaster Risk Resilience enhances national security and stability as resilience in critical infrastructure and systems is essential to the continued functioning of a country during and after disasters.
He also stressed that increased investments in multi-hazard early warning systems as well as expanding coverage, particularly in India, is essential in reducing fatalities. Early warning systems can also decrease disaster losses by up to 60 per cent, offering a remarkable tenfold return on investment.
Feedback from the participants was very positive and emphasised that the training programme will benefit everyone desired that NIDM and Department of Geology, NEHU, Shillong to regularly organize such programs.
The Valedictory session ended with the Vote of Thanks by Dr. Shikhar Kumar,Department of Geology, NEHU, Shillong. He indebted his gratitude to Shri Rajendra Ratnoo, IAS Executive Director, NIDM for unequivocal support to organize this training progamme, and acknowledged Prof.Prabha Shankar Shukla, Vice Chancellor, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong for all the support and cooperation.
