Guwahati: The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), in collaboration with the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), hosted a workshop on ‘Extreme Heat and Building Climate Resilience in Assam’ on Wednesday at the Srimanta Sankaradeva International Auditorium, Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Panjabari, Guwahati.
The workshop was attended by key stakeholders, including government officials, experts, local communities, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector, all coming together to discuss strategies to tackle the growing risks posed by extreme heat events in Assam and the broader North Eastern region.
Assam Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management Keshab Mahanta attended the occasion as the chief guest.
During his address, Mahanta emphasised the growing concern of increasing heatwave incidents in recent years and their potential impact on the daily lives of the people in the state.
He stressed the need for collaboration between the government and related stakeholders to address this emerging challenge.
The minister also suggested the adoption of green codes in school and college buildings to mitigate the heat effect and highlighted the importance of local-level innovative initiatives for reducing the impact of extreme heat.
The workshop featured discussions on sensitive issues related to extreme weather events and climate change, with a focus on raising awareness among stakeholders, including students.
Through these discussions, ASDMA aimed to strengthen its efforts to address climate and disaster-specific issues in Assam.
G.D. Tripathi, Chief Executive Officer of ASDMA, shared details of the “PRKRITI” competition, launched on ASDMA Foundation Day on March 23.
The competition, titled “Predicting Resilience through Knowledge-driven Research Using Integrative Technological Innovation,” aims to enhance local-level understanding of climate change impacts and encourage young minds and professionals to develop climate models using real-world data.
A booklet on Key Action Areas for Addressing Extreme Heat in the Asia-Pacific: Lessons from Regional Platforms was released by Minister Mahanta and other delegates.
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The workshop included four technical sessions with experts from state and national levels, such as Dr. PG Dhar Chakrabarti, Director, AIDMI; Dr. Abhyant Tiwari, Lead, NRDC, India; Dr. Akhil Srivastava, Scientist, IMD; and others.
Topics covered during the sessions included understanding heat from both local and national perspectives and exploring solutions to mitigate extreme heat risks.
The event was attended by the Secretary and Addl. Chief Executive Officer of ASDMA, senior officials from various government departments, and field-level officials of ASDMA, along with students from various educational institutions.
