HPU blends AI with traditional knowledge for disaster warning systems in Himalayan states

Shimla, Sep 10 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) will blend Artificial Intelligence (AI) with traditional localised knowledge to develop futuristic early disaster warning systems for hilly states across the Himalayan regions, which are prone to weather-related devastation, a varsity official said on Wednesday.

Talking to the media here, HPU Vice Chancellor Dr Mahavir Singh said, a beginning has already been made in this regard by setting up the Himalayan Centre for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience to study disaster phenomena at the university. Field surveys are currently ongoing in four disaster-sensitive districts: Shimla, Dharamshala, Mandi, and Kullu.

The objective is to combat global warming caused by climate change by integrating advanced scientific research, community wisdom, and policy-level outreach, he added.

The primary purpose of the centre is to ensure that the research outcomes and their benefits reach the community level and policymakers. With this in mind, emphasis is being placed on the amalgamation of AI with local community wisdom and experience to create a more effective system, he said.

He stressed that the early warning system developed would also be used to introduce disaster mitigation and reduction courses in universities, colleges, and schools.

The centre has already partnered with the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) and the University of Padua (Italy) to conduct studies using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology for hazard monitoring. Nodal agencies like the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and the National Disaster Management Institute (NDMA) have approved these collaborations, he added.

"Training programmes and workshops will be organised in disaster-sensitive and calamity-prone districts, and community representatives will also be brought to the campus to raise awareness," he said.

He emphasised that data accuracy, whether from NASA, satellite-based systems, or AI tools, was of utmost importance, as these pinpoint specific local vulnerabilities, such as why land is sinking or why frequent landslides are occurring.

Professor Sansar Raj Meena, Scientist and Assistant Researcher at the University of Padua, Italy, said his team would bring advanced AI and machine learning expertise to the project.

"We work on slope stability, predictive modelling, and remote sensing data analysis for landslide risk detection. As the Himalayas are vast, we use satellite, LiDAR, UAV, and drone data for hazard mapping," Meena said.

He further noted that local communities, especially elders, are natural scientists, well-acquainted with safe and unsafe areas. Their traditional knowledge would be combined with high-performance computing and big data analysis to provide actionable recommendations at the policy level. He also warned against unplanned urbanisation and infrastructure development in fragile Himalayan zones.

"A river never changes its course, but if people settle in its floodplain, the river will return one day. Rapid highway construction with steep slope cutting could trigger future slope failures. However, environmental assessments for such projects often ignore long-term hazards," he cautioned.

He also underscored that scientific reports must be written in accessible language for government officials, as many reports remain unused because officials struggle to understand the technical content. PTI BPL HIG HIG