SRINAGAR: To provide academicians from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh with the information, tools, and resources needed to enhance disaster risk reduction plans, a five-day capacity building and training program got underway here on Monday.
The comprehensive Faculty Development Programme on Disaster Risk Reduction is being conducted by Indian Universities and Institutions Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (IUINDRR), National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), officials said.
They said the programme is being conducted in collaboration with the Department of Geography and Disaster Management, University of Kashmir, Srinagar.
The officials said this essential training programme, tailored for academicians from Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, is taking place from June 3 to June 7 at the University of Kashmir, Srinagar.
The regional capacity building training programme aims to equip educators with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to enhance disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies within their respective institutions and communities, covering a wide array of topics, the officials said.
Head of the Department and Programme Convener, Pervez Ahmed, commenced the programme with a welcome address and introductory remarks.
Ahmed emphasized the faculty’s active engagement in studying natural hazards, community vulnerabilities, analysing exposures, assessing multi-hazard risks, and contributing to the development of a policy framework for DRR in the region.
Senior consultant, NIDM, Preeti Soni, outlined the key aims of the training and emphasied the critical need for capacity building among academicians to build resilient communities.
She said the participants that UGC NET-JRF in the subject of Disaster Management will be inducted in the list very soon and introduced various fellowship opportunities available at NIDM and other institutions in the field of Disaster Management.
Nazia Khan, IPRO, NIDM, conducted a session on the ethics of reporting during a disaster, enhancing participants’ understanding of responsible and ethical communication in disaster scenarios.
Dean College Development Council and Dean Academic Affairs, University of Kashmir, Khurshid A Bhat in his address touched on the broader academic and societal implications of disaster risk reduction and the role of educational institutions in leading these efforts.
Using examples from the Kashmir earthquake in 2005 and the Kashmir floods in 2014, he stressed the need to face emerging challenges arising from such disasters.
Executive Director, NIDM, New Delhi, Rajendra Ratnoo addressed the programme via video conferencing and focussed on the policy framework, government initiatives, and the collaborative efforts required to effectively manage disaster risks in the region.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Kashmir, Nilofer Khan highlighted the larger responsibility of academic institutions to help develop a disaster-conscious and disaster-resilient society through collaborative endeavors like the workshop.
