Building resilience: Experts unite at Nauni varsity to tackle climate change, CBRN risks
Strategies to effectively address climate change-induced disasters and emerging chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risks are being deliberated at a two-day workshop titled Operationalising Climate Change and CBRN Risk Reduction through Cross-Sectoral Action in Himachal Pradesh, which commenced at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni on Wednesday.
Organised by the Department of Environmental Science of the university in collaboration with the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Solan, the workshop aims to strengthen institutional preparedness and enhance inter-sectoral coordination. Policymakers, administrators, subject experts, health professionals, academicians and representatives from various line departments have converged to deliberate on climate change-related disasters and associated risks.
Addressing the inaugural session, Rahul Jain, Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-CEO, DDMA Solan, said Solan district had witnessed several natural disasters in recent years and also housed a large industrial belt, making it particularly vulnerable to multiple risks. He expressed hope that the workshop would culminate in the formulation of a white paper to help evolve an effective and structured response mechanism.
While noting that disaster preparedness had improved over the years, Jain emphasised that much more needed to be done to address emerging challenges. Stressing behavioural change, he called for greater societal sensitisation and urged experts to suggest practical and implementable solutions.
Dr Devina Vaidya, Director of Research, highlighted the importance of assessing the carrying capacity of fragile ecosystems and underlined the need for a balanced and sustainable approach to development and disaster risk management. She said hill districts like Solan were increasingly vulnerable to climate-related hazards such as extreme rainfall events, landslides, flash floods, forest fires and public health emergencies. Against this backdrop, the workshop seeks to translate scientific knowledge, policy frameworks and disaster risk reduction strategies into actionable plans at the district and local levels.
Elaborating on the focus of the workshop, Dr SK Bhardwaj, Head, Department of Environmental Science, said it was being organised at a critical juncture when the state had witnessed several disasters resulting in significant loss of life and property. He added that deliberations among experts from diverse sectors would focus on strengthening mitigation and preparedness measures to deal with future disasters.
The workshop features technical sessions, expert lectures, panel discussions and interactive stakeholder engagements on themes related to climate change impacts, disaster risk governance, CBRN preparedness and community-based risk reduction.
