Bhubaneswar: Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University (SOA) is set to host a pivotal two-day ‘International Conclave on Climate Change and Global Warming—Issues and Prospects’ on June 10 and 11. The event is expected to draw a diverse gathering of climate scientists, researchers, academics, and diplomatic representatives from across the globe, all converging to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change.
The conclave aims to establish a single global platform for eminent scientists, policymakers, environmental experts, entrepreneurs, and climate advocates. Their collective goal will be to discuss critical methods for combating the effects of climate change and formulating appropriate strategies for sustainable development.
Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Vice-Chancellor of SOA, stated, “The conclave, being organised by SOA, will feature interdisciplinary sessions on climate sciences, rising heat wave, earth system modeling, extreme weather events, water resource management and sustainable development.”
A significant international presence is anticipated, with ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from seven European and South American countries, along with the island nation of Seychelles, expected to share their country-specific experiences and perspectives. Among the distinguished diplomatic attendees will be Mr. Alberto Guani (Ambassador of Uruguay), Mr. Javier Paulinich (Ambassador of Peru), Mr. Fernando Bucheli (Ambassador of Ecuador), Mr. Omar Castaneda Solares (Ambassador of Guatemala), Mr. Juan Antonio March Pujol (Ambassador of Spain), Mr. Antonio Bartoli (Ambassador of Italy), Ms. Lalatiana Accouche (High Commissioner of Seychelles), and Mr. Kayshav Tewari (Diplomat, High Commission of Guyana).
Prof. Nanda emphasized the conclave’s objective: “to be a milestone event in mobilizing knowledge and forging a path towards a more sustainable and climate resilient future.”
The two-day event will feature various sessions covering broad themes, as outlined by Prof. Uma Charan Mohanty, General Chair for the conclave and Distinguished Professor at SOA. These themes include ‘Science and Climate Change: Indian Scenario’, ‘Ocean-Atmosphere-Space based observations’, ‘Earth System Modeling’, ‘Impact of Climate Change on Food Security’, ‘Effect on Energy and Water Availability’, and ‘Impact on Urban Infrastructure’.
A roster of leading scientists, researchers, and policymakers are slated to address the sessions. This includes Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra (Director General, Indian Meteorological Department), Prof. Subimal Ghose (IIT Bombay), Dr. Randhir Singh (Head, Atmospheric Division, Space Application Centre, ISRO), Dr. O.P. Sreejit (IMD, Pune), Dr. Akhil Srivastava (IMD, New Delhi), Dr. Aneesh Kishore (Group Director, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services), Dr. Anupam Hazra (Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology – IITM, Pune), Dr. Ayantika Dey Choudhury (IITM, Pune), Dr. Swapna Panickal (IITM, Pune), Prof. Prasad Bhaskaran (IIT Kharagpur), Prof. Dillip Kumar Swain (IIT Kharagpur), Prof. Uma Charan Mohanty (Distinguished Professor, SOA), Prof. Rabindra Kumar Panda (Director, Centre for Climate Smart Agriculture, SOA), Dr. Arjamadutta Sarangi (Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar), Dr. Palash Sinha (C-DAC, Pune), Prof. Chandrashekhar Narayan Bhende (IIT Bhubaneswar), and Dr. Sarat Chandra Sahu (Director, Centre for Environment and Climate, SOA).
The conclave will conclude with a crucial session dedicated to discussing and formulating suggestions and recommendations for future actions. This concluding session will be jointly chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nanda and Prof. Manas Kumar Mallick, Director, Institute of Technical Education and Research.