Pandu College (Autonomous) Organises One-Week Workshop on GeoAI and Geospatial Technologies for Landslide Hazard Assessment in Guwahati City

Guwahati, 10 October 2026: The Department of Geography, Pandu College (Autonomous), successfully organised a one-week workshop under the Short-Term Course (STC) titled “GeoAI and Geospatial Technologies for Landslide Hazard Assessment in Guwahati City” from 5 to 11 October 2026. The workshop aimed to enhance participants’ understanding of landslide hazards and develop practical skills in applying Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, and other geospatial technologies for landslide susceptibility mapping, hazard assessment, and risk analysis. The programme combined expert lectures, software-based practical training, geospatial modelling, and field verification to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the application of modern geospatial technologies in disaster risk reduction.

The inaugural session was held on 5 October 2026 at the Digital Classroom, Arts Block, Pandu College (Autonomous). The dignitaries present at the inaugural session included Dr. Sanchay Jyoti Bora, Principal, Pandu College (Autonomous); Dr. Chandana Sinha Roy, Vice Principal; Dr. Rana Sarma, Advisor of the Workshop and the senior most faculty member of the Department of Geography and one of the senior most faculty members of the college; Dr. Niranjan Bhattacharjee, Convener of the workshop and Head of the Department of Geography; Mr. Ajay Majumdar, Field Officer, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA); Ms. Mina Singha, Coordinator and Additional Director, Accelcraft Institute of Geoinformatics; Dr. Santanu Roy Choudhury, NSS Coordinator; Dr. Binita Tamuli Barman, IQAC Coordinator; and Mrs. Nirmali Sarmah, IIC–IPR Coordinator.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Sanchay Jyoti Bora, Principal of the college, emphasised the importance of interdisciplinary and skill-oriented academic initiatives in addressing contemporary environmental challenges. He highlighted the need to integrate emerging geospatial technologies into higher education and encouraged participants to develop practical competencies that could contribute to disaster preparedness, environmental management, and risk reduction.

Dr. Chandana Sinha Roy, Vice Principal, highlighted the significance of specialised academic workshops that connect theoretical learning with practical applications. She emphasised the importance of developing scientific awareness and technical skills among students and researchers to understand and address environmental hazards such as landslides.

Dr. Rana Sarma, Advisor of the Workshop, underscored the academic and practical significance of the programme, highlighting the need to integrate geographical knowledge with emerging geospatial technologies to address environmental hazards. Drawing upon his extensive academic experience, he emphasised the importance of systematic landslide assessment and mapping for identifying vulnerable areas, understanding associated risks, and strengthening disaster preparedness in Guwahati City.

Dr. Niranjan Bhattacharjee, Convener of the workshop and Head of the Department of Geography, highlighted the growing relevance of landslide hazard assessment in Guwahati City, particularly in view of its hilly terrain, expanding urbanisation, and human-induced environmental changes. He emphasised the importance of integrating geographical perspectives with GIS, Remote Sensing, and GeoAI-based approaches to identify landslide-prone areas and support evidence-based disaster management and urban planning.

Mr. Ajay Majumdar, Field Officer, ASDMA, highlighted the importance of scientific hazard assessment, vulnerability identification, and risk-informed planning in disaster management. He emphasised that reliable geospatial information and the accurate identification of vulnerable locations are essential for strengthening preparedness and reducing the adverse impacts of landslides on communities.

Ms. Mina Singha, Coordinator and Additional Director, Accelcraft Institute of Geoinformatics, spoke about the growing applications of GeoAI and geospatial technologies in environmental monitoring and disaster risk assessment. She highlighted the value of practical training in contemporary geospatial tools and techniques for developing technically skilled professionals capable of addressing emerging environmental challenges.

Dr. Santanu Roy Choudhury, NSS Coordinator, emphasised the importance of community awareness and collective responsibility in disaster preparedness. He highlighted the potential role of students and educational institutions in spreading awareness about landslide hazards and promoting safer environmental practices.

Dr. Binita Tamuli Barman, IQAC Coordinator, stressed the importance of quality-oriented, experiential learning initiatives that enhance academic and professional competencies. She noted that workshops of this nature contribute to the continuous improvement of higher education by encouraging practical learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and research-oriented approaches.

Mrs. Nirmali Sarmah, IIC–IPR Coordinator, highlighted the importance of innovation, technological application, and knowledge development in addressing geographical and environmental problems. She encouraged participants to explore the potential of emerging geospatial technologies in developing practical solutions to real-world challenges.

The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Mr. Amrit Borah, who expressed gratitude to the dignitaries, resource persons, organisers, and participants for their valuable contributions to the successful commencement of the workshop.

Following the inaugural session, the workshop proceeded with a series of expert lectures, technical demonstrations, and hands-on training sessions conducted in the GIS and Remote Sensing Laboratory of the Department of Geography. The sessions covered a wide range of topics, beginning with the geographical perspective of landslide hazards in Guwahati City, machine learning applications in geospatial analysis, and the tools and applications of GeoAI. The programme also addressed emerging risks associated with the changing Himalayan cryosphere, including glacial lake growth and cascading glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), highlighting the broader relevance of geospatial technologies in understanding environmental hazards. The programme was hosted by Mr. Sahil Choudhury, Programme Assistant.

The practical sessions focused on the application of Google Earth Engine (GEE), ArcMap, and other geospatial platforms for landslide hazard assessment. Participants received hands-on training in Python programming, geospatial data processing, identification of landslide-conditioning factors, and spatial database development. Subsequent sessions involved Random Forest-based landslide susceptibility mapping, preparation of landslide susceptibility maps, GeoAI workflows for landslide hazard assessment, and the assessment of landslide hazards, vulnerability, and risk. Participants were also introduced to accuracy assessment and model validation techniques, including the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, confusion matrix, and other model evaluation procedures.

Through these progressive theoretical and practical sessions, participants gained experience in applying geospatial tools and analytical methods to landslide susceptibility assessment. The training culminated in the preparation of a landslide susceptibility zonation map of Guwahati City, integrating the knowledge and technical skills acquired throughout the workshop. The exercise demonstrated the practical utility of GIS, Remote Sensing, and GeoAI in identifying landslide-prone areas and supporting informed decision-making for disaster risk reduction and urban planning.

The final day of the workshop, 10 October 2026, was dedicated to a field visit to Nilachal Hills, Guwahati, under the supervision of Mr. Sahil Choudhury, Field Visit In-charge. During the visit, participants observed the local terrain and examined potentially vulnerable locations. The field exercise involved identifying and verifying vulnerable sites, allowing participants to relate the results of geospatial analysis to actual ground conditions. The visit provided valuable field-based insights into the geographical and environmental factors associated with landslide susceptibility and reinforced the importance of ground verification in hazard mapping.

The field visit was followed by the valedictory session, held at the Digital Classroom, Arts Block, Pandu College (Autonomous). The session was graced by Dr. Mayuri Barman, Chairperson, Research Development Council (RDC), Pandu College (Autonomous), as the guest. In her address, Dr. Barman highlighted the importance of research-oriented training programmes in addressing pressing environmental concerns. She emphasised the relevance of landslide hazard assessment in the context of Guwahati’s geographical setting and noted that integrating modern geospatial technologies with field-based observations can contribute significantly to scientific understanding, disaster preparedness, and risk mitigation.

Dr. Niranjan Bhattacharjee, Convener of the workshop and Head of the Department of Geography, also addressed the gathering, reiterating the significance of systematic landslide mapping and the practical utility of the techniques introduced during the programme. He highlighted how the workshop enabled participants to progress from understanding landslide-conditioning factors to developing susceptibility maps and validating their results through appropriate assessment techniques and field observations. He further emphasised the importance of applying the skills acquired during the workshop to geographical research, environmental planning…and disaster risk reduction.

During the valedictory session, the final report of the workshop was presented, summarising the activities undertaken, the practical training provided, and the outcomes achieved. Certificates were distributed to all participants in recognition of their successful participation in the programme. Feedback was also collected from the participants, who expressed positive responses regarding the workshop’s content, hands-on training sessions, and overall learning experience. The programme was hosted by Ms. Rebecca Kramsapi, Coordinator of the workshop, while the vote of thanks was delivered by Ms. Geetanjali Deka, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography. She expressed gratitude to the guest, college administration, workshop advisor, organising team, resource persons, and participants for their valuable contributions to the successful completion of the programme.

The one-week workshop concluded with a renewed emphasis on the role of GeoAI and geospatial technologies in landslide susceptibility mapping, hazard assessment, and disaster risk reduction. By combining theoretical understanding, software-based practical training, spatial analysis, model validation, and field verification, the programme provided participants with a comprehensive learning experience. The initiative also highlighted the importance of collaboration among academic institutions, technical organisations, and disaster management agencies in addressing landslide hazards and promoting safer, more informed urban development in Guwahati City.