Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 2: Department of Geography and Disaster Management (DGDM) of Kashmir University, in collaboration with the Higher Education department, organized a webinar on “Mainstreaming Disaster Management in Higher Education Institutions”.
Vice-Chancellor KU, Prof Talat Ahmad, who was chief guest on the occasion, called for mainstreaming disaster management into academia and development policy to put in place a robust disaster response system on the ground. He said the Himalayan region is prone to disasters and this calls for a serious integrated approach to disaster management.
Asserting that world leaders cannot afford to be in denial over impending dangers posed by climate change, the VC said it was important for academic institutions, especially in the Himalyan region and country’s other vulnerable areas, to come together and help in mainstreaming disaster management into curriculums.
The Vice-Chancellor called for a survey of all important buildings in J&K UT-hospitals, colleges, schools and Government offices-to evaluate how safe these are to withstand disasters.
In his keynote address, Commissioner-Secretary, HED Talat Pervez Rohella proposed a five-pronged strategy for disaster management, including developing core competencies of students and faculty in colleges, holding regular mock drills for an effective response system, devising mitigation strategies with proper planning, and creating space in all colleges to establish disaster response centers.
In her lead lecture, Prof Janki Andhari, Dean, Jamsetji Tata School of Disaster Studies, TISS Mumbai, said disasters aren’t a result of a single event and therefore any event-centric approach to handle disasters is not advisable.
Prof Andhari said 85 per-cent of the country is vulnerable to earthquakes, floods, droughts, cyclones and landslides, even as more than 500 million people are affected by natural disasters annually.
Advocating a “shift” in understanding disaster management, she said community-based approaches, increasing awareness, use of appropriate technologies and indigenous methods could go a long way in mainstreaming disaster management.
KU Registrar Dr Nisar A Mir called for an urgent and serious intervention by policy-planners, academic institutions, NGOs and citizens to devise effective disaster management policies and frameworks.
Prof Shamim A Shah, Head of KU’s DGDM, delineated objectives of the webinar. Prof M Y Peerzada, Director Colleges, delivered a vote of thanks at the inaugural session, which was followed by a panel discussion by eminent academics and administrators. Dr Mohammad Shafi conducted proceedings of the webinar.
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