Climate change impact: Workshop held at Sharda University

A Workshop on ‘Positive Degree Day Modelling of Glaciers’ was held during 28th–29th September, 2012 in School of Engineering & Technology, Sharda University. The programme was held as a part of a project ‘Impacts of Climate Change on Hydrological Regime of Nepal, India and Afghanistan’ funded under ADD-SG programme of International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

The programme is being led by Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Associate Professor, Dept. of Applied Sciences, Sharda University as the Principle Investigator. The project has three partner institutions working in collaboration viz. Kathmandu University, Nepal; Sharda University, India and Kabul University, Afghanistan.

The main objective of the workshop was to train the participants on Positive Degree Day Modelling, discussion on progress of the project and also to discuss about future collaborative research plans. There were twenty-three participants in the programme including two participants each from Kathmandu University, Nepal and Kabul University, Afghanistan. A guest talk was delivered by Ms. Nisha Mediratta, Scientist F/Director, Climate Change Programme, Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India on ‘Climate Change & its impacts: India’s Strategies’.

The inaugural session of the programme was facilitated by Prof. Bharat B. Gupta, Officiating Dean, SET, Sharda University. He warmly welcomed the participants with focus on the need of study of Himalayan Glaciers in present scenario due to the major fresh water reserve outside the polar region. Dr. Munendra Singh, HOD, Dept. of Applied Sciences made everyone aware about the research work and different programs running in SET as well as Sharda University. Dr. Kumar, Associate Professor and Principle Investigator of the project from Sharda University delivered vote of thanks.

After the inaugural session, the programme discussed in two days (28th – 29th September) about the progress of the project in the three countries followed by the training on the Positive Degree Day (PDD) modeling. Dr. Rijan B. Kayastha presented the project progress in Nepal followed by Ms. Roya Quraishi in Afghanistan and Dr. Rajesh Kumar in India in the first half of the second day. After lunch the M. Tech. and Ph.D. students of Energy and Environment were trained on Positive Degree Day Modelling. The model is very helpful in predicting the water availability in Himalayan Glaciers fed rivers in next two-three decades.