Prof. Kavita Suri of University of Jammu collaborates on £1million international research project to address landslide risks in the Himalayas

JAMMU : In a significant step towards addressing the growing risks of landslides in the Himalayan region, the University of Jammu is playing a pivotal role in an international research collaboration aimed at mitigating the impact of landslides. The project, led by the University of Aberdeen (UK), seeks to enhance understanding of these catastrophic events, which have become more frequent due to climate change.

The collaboration brings together experts from India and the UK, with more than £1 million in combined funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). The research will focus on the Central Himalayan region, an area increasingly vulnerable to landslides due to rapid infrastructure development, population growth, and the rising frequency of extreme weather events.

Prof. Kavita Suri from the University of Jammu who has a background in social sciences and community engagement, is part of this team which includes geoscientists, remote sensing specialists, and experts in geotechnical analysis from prominent Indian institutions such as the Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleosciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Jammu, GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, and the Borehole Geophysics Research Laboratory. In fact, University of Jammu is one of the only two Universities in India which are part of this prestigious international project. Prof. Suri’s involvement in this project follows earlier studies conducted by the University of Jammu on landslide hazards and cascading glacial events in the Himalayan region. The current research aims to integrate various scientific and social datasets, creating robust methodologies for landslide risk assessment and impact mitigation. She will contribute her expertise in exploring community perceptions of landslide hazards. This social dimension will be crucial in developing locally acceptable and effective mitigation strategies. These partners will work in unison to map and monitor landslide risks using cutting-edge technology, including satellite, drone, and tree-ring data analysis.

Dr. Anshuman Bhardwaj, Project Lead and Senior Lecturer in Geosciences at the University of Aberdeen, emphasized the importance of this research: “Our project will bridge critical gaps in understanding the nexus between geohazards, human activity, and infrastructure. By providing comprehensive hazard assessments, we aim to bolster community resilience and improve preparedness for future landslides.”

As extreme weather patterns persist and landslides continue to devastate communities, the work of Prof. Suri and her colleagues will inform vital policy decisions on infrastructure development and disaster preparedness across high-mountain regions. The research will provide improved understanding of the relationship between slope failure mechanisms and slope materials, analyse and reconstruct past landslide events using tree-ring records, and model potentially destructive future glacial landslide events.

The ground-breaking project integrates multiple disciplines to cover all aspects of landslides in a high-mountain catchment and will serve as a benchmark for similar research in other landslide-prone high-mountain regions, contributing to effective monitoring and mitigation of geohazards

Project Co-Lead Dr Lydia Sam, lecturer in Geosciences at the University of Aberdeen, added: “There is a lack of comprehensive hazard assessment models that consider both, the environmental as well as social aspects and our project is a much-needed step in that direction.”

Indian Project Lead Dr S. Nawaz Ali explained: “The project will inform policymakers about landslide-prone regions, ensuring sustainable development of critical infrastructure. Mitigation strategies, such as identifying optimal shelter locations, alternative routes for food supply, trade and migration routes, slope stabilisation strategies, drainage and vegetation management, and adaptable land use planning will enhance resilience

to geohazards.”