THREE-DAY CAPACITY-BUILDING PROGRAM TRAINS STUDENTS AND RESEARCHERS IN MODERN TECHNIQUES FOR NATURAL HAZARD ASSESSMENT AND RESOURCE MAPPING  

Face2News/Mohali

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES) at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali has organised a three-day national training workshop titled “CAP-GEO 2026: Capacity Building in Remote Sensing and Geophysical Imaging for Natural Hazards and Resource Mapping”, being held from March 16–18, 2026.

The acting director and Dean of faculty Prof. Purnanand Guptasharma inaugurated the workshop on 16 March and emphasised the need for interdisciplinary approaches as a way forward. CAP-GEO 2026 received an overwhelming response from across the country. The Head of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, IISER Mohali remarked that the response from students and faculty members was so enthusiastic that registrations had to be closed within three days of announcement. Participants include PhD scholars, master’s students, faculty members, scientists, and professionals from academic institutions, research organizations, and industry across India. The workshop has also seen encouraging participation from women researchers, with approximately 30% female representation among attendees.

The workshop is jointly organized by Dr. Yunus Ali Pulpadan, Dr. Raju Attada, Dr. Chandrakanta Ojha, and Dr. Jyotima Kanaujia from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at IISER Mohali. Training sessions are being conducted by experts from leading universities (BHU, CUSAT), national research institutes including IIT Roorkee, IIT Ropar, ISRO, and industry professionals. The workshop aims to provide participants with exposure to modern techniques in remote sensing, geophysical imaging, and geodetic monitoring used to investigate natural hazards, environmental processes, and subsurface resources. The program combines expert lectures, hands-on data analysis sessions, and field demonstrations of advanced geophysical and surveying technologies.

The workshop included lectures on geophysical imaging and satellite-based deformation monitoring, complemented by demonstrations of geophysical techniques for engineering and hazard studies. The event concluded with specialized lectures at IIT Ropar, focusing on UAV-based mapping and Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW), which were followed by field demonstrations of these techniques.

The program provides an important platform for training young researchers in modern geophysical and remote sensing tools for hazard assessment, infrastructure investigations, and resource mapping, while encouraging collaboration between academia, national research laboratories, and industry.