Varanasi: A six-day national workshop on “Geospatial Approaches Toward Urban Geographical Research and Hazard-Risk-Vulnerability Analysis” was organised at the Department of Geography, Institute of Science, BHU from Jan 19 to 24. Presiding over the inaugural function, BHU VC Prof Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi underscored the central role of Geography in the contemporary world, highlighting its strong linkages with natural sciences, engineering, technology, social sciences and the arts. He referred to the historic contribution of Geography department at BHU, which is nearing eight decades of academic excellence, and stressed its responsibility in leading advanced teaching, research and societal engagement. He noted that hazard-risk and vulnerability analysis has now become integral not only to geography but also to civil engineering and remote sensing. GeoUrbVA convener Prof Amit Kumar presented an overview of the programme and highlighted its relevance in the present urban context. He said the six-day workshop has brought together 52 participants from 29 institutions across 17 states, along with experts from premier organisations.Former VC of TMB University, Bhagalpur, Prof V C Jha emphasised the growing strategic importance of Geography and Urban Studies in addressing challenges arising from rapid urbanisation and increasing disaster risks. He said geospatial approaches enable comprehensive analysis of urban systems by integrating surface, vertical and sub-surface dimensions. Geography HoD Prof Vinod Kumar Tripathi said the workshop aims to strengthen capacity building among young researchers, faculty members and professionals by bridging the gap between theory and practical applications of geospatial technologies. The workshop features experts from 10 leading national and international institutions and focuses on urban land-use analysis, hazard-risk-vulnerability assessment, urban flood and climate modelling, GeoAI, UAV-based applications and sustainable urban planning, contributing towards resilient cities and disaster risk reduction.
