Exclusive chat with DG, UCOST Prof Durgesh Pant
By Arun Pratap Singh
Pics: Bhumesh Bharti
Dehradun, 27 Nov: The Sixth World Congress on Disaster Management is being organised from 28 November to 1 December at Graphic Era University, here. This is the first time that the World Congress on Disaster Management (WCDM) is being organised in a Himalayan state. The Congress is being jointly organised by Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA), Disaster Management Initiatives & Convergence Society (DMICS) and Uttarakhand Council of Science & Technology (UCOST). As a precursor to the event, Garhwal Post interviewed Prof Durgesh Pant, Director General of UCOST, regarding the objectives of the event. Some excerpts:
Speaking about the objectives of organising the Sixth World Congress on Disaster Management in Uttarakhand, Prof Pant reminded that this is the Sixth World Congress on Disaster Management in the country and first in a Himalayan State. He said that the geographical conditions in the Himalayas are very fragile and the Himalayan states are particularly vulnerable to disasters. Hence it is a fact that these states have to live with such catastrophes. He says, “Our ancestors lived through such situations and they knew how to cope, using traditional and indigenous knowledge system. However, in the present era which is technology driven, there are so many technological tools like Early Warning Systems, Radars, Remote Sensing and space-based technology. Therefore, learning becomes important and sharing of experiences and knowledge is necessary.”
He added that there is a need for greater communication and collaboration. The World Congress on Disaster Management provides a platform to top experts from around the globe, scientists, researchers, administrators & government agencies and even the local voices to share their experiences and knowledge and also learn from each other by way of greater collaboration.
Pant said that the upcoming World Congress on Disaster Management (WCDM) will discuss Strengthening Climate Action and Disaster Resilience with special focus on Mountain Ecosystems and Communities. All the Himalayan states like Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, etc., will have a lot to share and learn from this conference. The global participation is also quite wide with 51 countries from all the continents taking part. The conference is expected to discuss, amongst others, issues such as landslides, earthquakes, cloudbursts, etc. There will be lot to learn not only for the experts but also the local communities and stakeholders.
He said that India has been holding the WCDM since the then President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, took the initiative on this.
In response to a question, Prof Pant stated that wide ranging discussions have been planned for the WCDM which will include more than 50 technical sessions and four major plenary sessions which are: ‘Making infrastructure disaster resilient including global coverage of early warning systems; Stronger financial frameworks for DRR; Application of ecosystems-based approaches to DRR (Disaster Risk Reduction) and Strengthened national and global disaster response systems’. The technical sessions will include issues such as dealing with multiple-hazards, DRR, technical interventions, mountain specific hazards and their management, health issues such as pandemics and coping with them and community based interventions, use of traditional knowledge in coping with disasters and multi-disciplinary research and best practices.
Prof Pant revealed that the WCDM will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami as the Chief Guest, while the valedictory session will have Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd) as the Chief Guest and Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju as Guest of Honour. The Governor is very passionate about the state and also the issues that concern the state such as disaster management and he is sensitive towards the preparedness of the state to cope up with natural disasters. Chief Minister Dhami has played a key role in organising this event in Uttarakhand and takes keen interest in the preparedness of the state to deal with disasters. He wanted such a conference to be held in Uttarakhand where ideas, experiences and knowledge could be shared and important lessons learnt from them in the field of disaster management.
Prof Pant added that, at the valedictory session, awards and prizes on research papers will be handed over by the Governor and several presentations will also be made. He said that the Congress will also draft a Dehradun Declaration to set up the agenda for effective disaster management, climate resilience and interventions and the agenda to draw future disaster management strategies.
Prof Pant added that the Conference has given due importance and space to the voices from the grassroots, too. There will be a special session on voices from the grassroots and also educationists and students, and also sessions for policy framers and on a legal framework.
Many agencies and departments like ISRO, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and all departments from various states and the Centre that deal directly or indirectly with disaster management will be participating. More than 15 states have already confirmed their participation while several others shall also be joining.
Speaking about the role of Uttarakhand Council of Science & Technology (UCOST) in the conference, he informed that UCOST is the Science & Technology Partner of the WCDM this time. Speaking about Uttarakhand’s level of preparedness to cope with disasters, Prof Pant reminded that people and communities living in the hills of Uttarakhand have been coping with disasters for ages. They do have traditional knowledge and experiences regarding over thousands of years and that is how humanity has survived on the planet. The need is to blend the traditional knowledge systems with modern technology and tools and use them optimally. India is truly fortunate to have huge traditional knowledge resources. The need is greater integration between traditional knowledge and modern technology. Even other countries such as from Latin America possess indigenous knowledge which will be shared at WCDM.
Speaking about the relations between climate change and global warming and the increasing natural disasters, he said that it is now a globally accepted fact that there is global climate change and global warming. Once this is accepted, there is a general feeling that it has to be dealt with utmost seriousness before the global warming and the climate change turns into climatic disasters. He said, “There has to be an understanding that an optimal balance between economic growth and ecology is required. We need not only to be fully conscious and careful and conscious about it, we also need to educate everyone on it. There is only one living planet and we need to save it for our future generations. Fortunately, the world is realising this, as also the need to maintain our ecological standards and the ecology of the planet.”
