Berhampur: A two-day international conference on Climate Change, Disaster Resilience and Human Wellbeing was organized by the Centre of Excellence on Climate Change and Disaster Resilience (CECCDR), Berhampur University during 16-17 September 2023. More than 300 participants attended the conference, including 158 speakers from over 09 states of India and 05 other countries (Scotland, France, Ethiopia, Syria and Nepal). Around 60% of the registered delegates could make their presentations. Thie two-day event was sponsored by Odisha Higher Education Program for Excellence and Equity (OHEPEE), TATA Steel CSR, CBGA, Jagadguru Kripalu University.
The inaugural session (on 16 September 2023) was presided over by Prof. Geetanjali Dash, Vice-Chancellor, Berhampur University, and was accompanied by other dignitaries on the dias, viz., Prof. Sudhakar Patra, Director, CECCDR, Dr. B. Anjan Kumar Prusty, Jt. Director, CECCDR, Prof. S. K. Baral, Chairman, PG Council, Berhampur University, Mr. Lokas Magrans, Climate Change Expert, France; Ms. Lourane Macleod, Specialist, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Resilience, Scotland; Dr. Ambika Prasad Nanda, Head, Tata Steel CSR as the Chief Speaker. Similarly, the valedictory session (on 17 September 2023) was presided by Prof. S. K. Baral, Chairman, PG Council, Berhampur University and was accompanied by other dignitaries on the dais, viz., Prof. Sudhakar Patra and Dr. B. Anjan Kumar Prusty, the Director and Jt. Director of the CECCDR, respectively; Dr. S. K. Tripathy, Director, R & D Cell, Berhampur University, Ms. Ayushka KC, LI-BIRD, Nepal, Prof. Prafulla K. Dhal, Director, Nanban School of Sustainability, Gagadguru Kripalu University (as Chief Speaker); Dr Demissie Admasu, Executive Director, Gamo Development Association, Ethiopia (as Chief Guest) and Dr. M. Swain, Jt. Director, CECCDR.
The conference included 8 technical sessions, 03 panel discussions and 01 Plenary session, in addition to the inaugural and valedictory session. The 8 technical sessions included the following themes: (1) Agriculture and climate change, (2) Climate change and natural resource management, (3) disaster management, (4) cyclone (and other disasters) (5) Ecological resilience (6) Environment and climate change (7) Climate change and health sector, and (😎 Climate change and human well-being. The themes for the panel discussion were (i) cyclone and human well-being, (ii) the Role of Fiscal Policy in Climate Change Mitigation, and (iii) Climate Change experiences.
The galaxy of intellectuals who participated in this international conference included many climate change experts and eminent speakers, the prominent ones among them included
(i) Ms Lauren Macleod, Specialist, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Resilience, Scotland
(ii) Mr. Lucas Magrans, Climate Change Expert, France
(iii) Demissie Admasu, Executive Director, Gamo Development Association, Ethiopia
(iv) Ayushka K.C., LI-BIRD, Kathamandu, Nepal
(v) Abdulkarem Daoun, Specialist, Agricultural Engineering, Hama University, Syria
(vi) Dr. Ambika Prasad Nanda, Head, TATA Steel CSR,
(vii) Dr. Sourav Paul, Director, Estuarine and Coastal Studies Foundation, IOC- UNESCO, Endorsed Scientist
(viii) Ms. Abha Mishra, Head, United Nations Development Programme,
(ix) Prof. Prafulla K. Dhal, Director, Nanban School of Sustainability, Gagadguru Kripalu University
(x) Dr. Kanilal Das, Visiting Scientist, Estuarine and Coastal Studies Foundation, Kolkata,
(xi) Dr. Nilachal Acharya, Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability , New Delhi,
(xii) Dr. Shakuntala Pratihary, Climate Change Specialist, Bhubaneswar
(xiii) Dr. Sourav Paul, Director, Estuarine and Coastal Studies Foundation,IOC- UNESCO, Endorsed Scientist
(xiv) Prof. Gautam Mitra, Former Professor, Burdwan University, West Bengal
(xv) Dr. Kabita K. Sahu, Associate Professor, MSCB University, Baripada
(xvi) Dr. Damodar Jena, Professor KIIT School of Rural Development,Bhubaneswer
(xvii) Dr. Debasish Mohapatra, Associate Professor of Practice, KIIT University
(xviii) And many more.
The plenary session deliberated on ‘Green and climate change agriculture: building mass movements from grassroots for practicing sustainability’ and ‘building disaster resilience for sustainability’. This conference ended with an assurance from all the participating experts to initiate collaborative programmes with the CECCDR, Berhampur University.
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