International Conference on Tsunami Risk Reduction & Resilience

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, in collaboration with the UNESCO Chair on Experiential Learning for Sustainable Innovation and Development, the Amrita School for Sustainable Futures (ASF), and the Centre for Wireless Networks and Applications, convened the International Conference on Tsunami Risk Reduction and Resilience.   At the conference, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers jointly explored key learnings, reflections, and innovations since the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Key themes include tools for enhancing tsunami preparedness and mitigation; models and systems for tsunami detection, monitoring, forecasting, and early warning; sharing best practices and evaluating existing systems and tools; fostering community resilience; enhancing collaborative platforms for cross-border data sharing and response coordination; and leveraging innovations like AI for improved prediction and risk assessment.  By advancing Sustainable Development Goals 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 13 (Climate Action), the contributions presented at the conference support resilient infrastructure and preparedness to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters, contributing to a safer and more resilient future for coastal communities worldwide.

Dr. Maneesha Vinodini Ramesh, Provost of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, holds key roles in Strategic Initiatives, Research & Innovation, AI+X, and leads the School for Sustainable Futures and Amrita Center for Wireless Networks and Applications (AWNA). She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering, pioneering the world’s first AI-integrated IoT-based landslide early warning system, which secured a U.S. patent and placed her among the top 2% of scientists globally, as recognized by Stanford University. Dr. Ramesh has secured substantial research grants in areas like landslide detection, water sustainability, and heritage preservation. As Dean of International Programs, she has facilitated over 150 international collaborations. Her commitment to societal development is evident in her leadership of Live-in-Labs®, providing sustainable solutions to over 2000 communities, and the Jivamritam project, which delivers clean drinking water to millions across India.   Prof. N. Vinod Chandra Menon has over 37 years of working experience in the fields of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and public policy analysis. Currently he is Adjunct Professor at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and Advisor Amrita School of Sustainable Development; Chair of the Advisory Council of the Africa International Policy Research Center (AIPRC) aiprcafrica.com based in Nairobi, Kenya ; Member of the Peer Committee on  “Technological Preparedness for Dealing with National Disruptions” established by the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE); President of RedR India (redr.org.in); Senior Advisor and Mentor of the International Institute of Information Technology ISquareIT, Pune (isquareit.edu.in); Chairman and Managing Trustee of the Governing Board of Swayam Shikshan Prayog  (swayamshikshanprayog.org); Chief Advisor and Mentor of AJSA India, Bhubaneshwar (ajsaindia.org); Chief Strategic Advisor (Climate Resilience and Global Policy) of Terrablu Climate Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Pune (terrablu.life)  Member of the Advisory Board of the Centre of Excellence in Disaster Management (CoEDM) at the Development Management Institute (DMI), Patna; Senior Advisor and Data Evangelist of India Excellence Foundation; and Mentor of engineering students participating in the eYantra Innovation Challenge (eYIC) of IIT Bombay, Chairperson of the Board of Oceanic Circles Foundation, Pune among others.   Professor Sudha Arlikatti has degrees in Architecture (Pune University), City Planning (I.I.T. Kharagpur), and Urban and Regional Science (Texas A& M University) with an emphasis in Environmental Planning and Hazards Management. She has over 12 years of practitioner experience and 19 years of teaching and research experience in the USA, India, and the UAE. Her research interests include risk communication and protective action decision making in multi-ethnic communities responding to tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and biological threats; disaster sheltering and housing recovery; and individual and organizational resiliency for sustainable development. She has received funding for her research endeavors from the U.S. National Science Foundation, Texas Department of State Health Services, Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, and the University of North Texas. Her works have been published in notable disasters, environmental planning and public policy journals including Disasters, Disaster Prevention and Management, Environmental Management, Homeland Security and Emergency Management, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, Natural Hazards, Natural Hazards Review, Public Administration Review, Risk Analysis and Sustainability. Here at Amrita University, she is motivated to empower students through meaningful research to find transformative, sustainable, and disaster-resilient solutions for societal benefit.    Dr. Vinod V.T. Padil is an academic with a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Acharya Nagarjuna University, India. His professional journey includes serving as a Scientific Officer at the Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT), Department of Atomic Energy, located at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) campus in Hyderabad, India, from 2001 to 2010. He further enhanced his expertise with a postdoctoral fellowship at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Dr. Padil's academic career spans multiple prestigious institutions. He was an Associate Professor and Senior Research Officer at the Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies, and Innovation, Technical University of Liberec (TUL), Czech Republic. Additionally, he held visiting faculty positions at Glyndwr University, UK, where he taught water-soluble polymers, and at Bayreuth University, Germany, where he was involved with Macromolecular Chemistry II. In India, Dr. Padil served as a Professor at Amrita School for Sustainable Futures (ASF), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita University, Amritapuri Campus, Kerala. Currently, he holds a professorship at the School of Nano Sciences, Central University of Gujarat. Dr. Padil's research contributions are impressive, with over 150 research articles, 15 book chapters, and 2 edited books to his credit. His work has garnered significant recognition, reflected in his H-Index of 45, with more than 7,600 citations.   Dr. Raji Pushpalatha is a faculty member at the Amrita School for Sustainable Futures, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. Her current research is centered on evaluating the impact of climate change on agriculture and water resources, while also exploring mitigation and adaptation strategies. A significant aspect of her work involves implementing community-level interventions to promote sustainable food and water security in rural India. One of her notable contributions to sustainable food security has been the introduction of family farming models in rural communities across the adopted villages in India.   Dr. Sabarinath S. is a Senior Grade Assistant Professor at the Amrita School for Sustainable Futures, where he integrates his expertise in Tribology and Material Science with a deep commitment to environmental sustainability. His interdisciplinary research spans ocean acidification, the impact of coastal erosion on livelihoods, municipal solid waste management in rural North India, and the development of biofertilizers from invasive species like water hyacinth. He also serves as Co-Principal Investigator for a Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)-funded project on developing green hydrogen from seawater using low melting (LM) alloys. With a strong publication record and a passion for applied research, Dr. Sabarinath continues to contribute meaningfully to sustainable technological solutions and community resilience.   Sheri R. Levy, Ph.D., is a Professor and former Chair of the Psychology Department at Stony Brook University, USA. She is a social and developmental psychologist who conducts basic and applied research. With interdisciplinary and international collaborators, Levy studies the interrelated topics of ageism, aging, climate anxiety, climate change education, human rights, intergenerational relations, and poverty. She conducts lifespan research in several countries and uses a multi-method approach including archival data, curriculum evaluation, experiments, fieldwork, interventions, longitudinal studies, and meta-analyses. Since 2021, Levy has been a Representative to the United Nations for the Non-Governmental Organization Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, and she was the Main Editor of the Journal of Social Issues (American Psychological Association). Levy holds a Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University, USA and a B.A. in psychology from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, USA.