BU to roll out course to prepare for Kodagu-like-situations

He says that the new MSc course will teach topics such as remote sensing and will be a totally field oriented course.
Flood-hit area in Kodagu district
Flood-hit area in Kodagu district

BENGALURU:The need to understand natural disasters like the recent Kodagu floods and to increase preparedness for such situations has led Bangalore University (BU) to mull starting a course on disaster management.

Ashok Hanjagi, professor, Geography and Geo-informatics Department, BU, tells City Express that the new two-year masters course will be called ‘Disaster Management with Geospatial Technology’, and will start rolling next academic year. Also, a modified diploma course in ‘Sustainable Rural Development’ will be introduced along with the aforementioned course.

“With each passing year, the number of natural disasters are  increasing. There were the Kodagu and Kerela floods, cyclones in Orissa and cloud bursts in the Himalayas. More than ever before, there is a need to understand these natural disasters now. Although such phenomenon cannot be predicated, one can definitely be prepared to deal with them,” adds professor Ashok.

He says that the new MSc course will teach topics such as remote sensing and will be a totally field oriented course. Other topics taught will include applications of disaster management systems, mechanisms on preparedness and assessment of disasters can be achieved through geo-spatial technology, to name a few. “We will also take the help of and tie-up with government agencies, NGOs and research organsiations who are working in the area,” he adds.

Presently, the department offers an MSc in Geography, MSc in Geographical Information Science and a diploma course in Geo-Informatics. “We want to add ‘Sustainability Rural Development’ to the diploma courses offered,” he adds.

As part of the sustainable rural development course, the department also wants to push the idea of adopting villages in rural areas. “Universities like ours can be intermediaries between villages and open-data platforms. Colleges and educational institutions can upload and update data sets on platforms such as the Bhuvan geo data portal,” he says. The Bhuvan portal is a software application that gives a 2D or 3D representation of the Earth.

Professor Ashok adds that such data can help one understand situations in rural areas - be it droughts, rains and famines to name a few. “Researchers can use this data for their studies, and the government can do the same in framing of policies. The local government can utilise this data for better governance and  disbursal of resources,” he adds.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com