National Colloquium on Disaster Risk Reduction

The National Colloquium on Disaster Risk Reduction was held on October 13 at Suhora Technologies, organized by the IEEE Local Group – Data Science for Climate Risk Management. The colloquium addressed the critical need for disaster resilience at all levels, from households to policymakers, emphasizing local capacity development and community participation. Speakers, including Prof. Surya Parkash Gupta and Prof. VK Sharma, highlighted the importance of grassroots acceptance and preparedness, noting that no disaster risk reduction plan can succeed without community involvement. Discussions covered India's vulnerability to natural hazards, the role of geospatial technology in mapping risks and enforcing land-use rules, and the challenges posed by climate change and water-related disasters. The event underscored the necessity of making hazard and exposure data useful at the micro-level to ensure warnings reach and are acted upon by households, aligning with the UN's "Resilience Starts at Home" theme.