AMaN-himal


GIS Applications for Assessing and Managing
Natural Hazards in the Himalayas
(co-funded by Eurasia-Pacific Uninet, Austria, 2014-15)

INTRODUCTION
Several parts of the Himalayas in India and Nepal experienced flood disasters during June 2013. India reported more than 5700 people killed due to these floods in the Uttarakhand State whereas hundreds of tourists in the down-stream areas could not be counted. The death toll in Nepal was about 1000 people. The damage of property and infrastructure was huge. These floods were caused by the unprecedented and erratic pattern of pre-monsoon rains.

The societies living in the Himalayas face a range of natural disasters every year. It is not only these cause lot damage to people, resources and property but pause big questions about the future development processes. It is evident that these societies are highly vulnerable to the observed natural disasters although there are variations in their magnitude as well as their spatial and temporal patterns.

OBJECTIVE
  • Develop institutional capacity to use GIS Applications for Assessing and Managing Natural Hazards in the Himalayas by enhancing conceptual understanding and improving technical skills.
ACTIVITIES
  • Organise a short intensive Faculty-Development Workshop in Nepal.
  • Disseminate the results through a participant level Seminar in Nepal.

The reason for organising a short intensive multi-partner GIScience Faculty Development Workshop and Dissemination Seminar is to share the ’know-how’ regarding the methods of identifying crucial indicators of environmental and socio-economic changes in mountain environments, and to generate higher multiplier effect within a short period (1 week) and initiate a network for future cooperation.

PARTNERS
 Organiser Institutions
AUSTRIA:
 - Austrian Academy of Sciences - GIScience, Vienna / Salzburg
 - Interfaculty Department of Geoinformatics - Z_GIS, University of Salzburg, Salzburg
 - Eurasia-Pacific Uninet, Vienna

NEPAL:
 - Central Department of Education, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Participant Institutions
AUSTRIA:
 - Austrian Academy of Sciences - GIScience, Vienna / Salzburg
 - Interfaculty Department of Geoinformatics - Z_GIS, University of Salzburg, Salzburg
 
BHUTAN:
 - College of Natural Resources, Lobesa
 - College of Science and Technology, Rinchending
 - Sherubtse College, Kanglung
 
INDIA:
 - University of Madras, Chennai

NEPAL:
 - Innovative Solutions, Kathmandu
 - Institute of Forestry, Pokhara
 - International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Khumaltar
 - Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel
 - Prithvi Narayan Campus, Pokhara
 - Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu

OUTCOMES (see the blog here)
  • the workshop was organised from 22 to 27-02-2015 at Central Department of Education, TU, Nepal, 
  • 19 teachers and professionals from Nepal, Bhutan, India and Austria participated in the workshop,
  • all the participants completed individual practical projects and presented in the dissemination seminar.
Contact: Dr. Shahnawaz, Interfaculty Department of Geoinformatics - Z_GIS, University of Salzburg, Austria.