Strategic Foresight and Horizon Scanning @ World Summit for Social Development 2025
We were delighted to have been given the opportunity to share our insights on #strategicforesight (#FuturesThinking) and #HorizonScanning!
We are looking forward to this magnificent AI-driven tool being developed for #transformative and #anticipatory governance!
Wouldn’t it be nice, for a change, to have the decision-makers of the day “listen to the future” and act? 🤔
READY Track 1 in Riga: Controlled Chaos
Can controlled creativity help in giving shape to disaster risk perceptions and how much of such perceptions can actually be considered?
It would be foolish to not take it without a pinch of salt and yet, without its integration the essence of human-centric interventions will remain amiss!
Quite the paradox, isn’t it?
READY – Track 1
FAR ICCROM
ICCROM
European Commission
READY Track 1 in Riga: Science to Action
We just realised, once again, that the whole point is not only to create #riskknowledge but also #communicate and #translate it into on-ground action, even if that means going back to stick diagrams and matrices as opposed to the use of coming-of-age technologies!
Congratulations to the European Union, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, ICCROM, FAR ICCROM for bringing all the strings together!
READY Track 1 in Riga: CH X DRM
The persistent question regarding the genuine inclusion of human subjectivity within the established discourse of climate and disaster risk assessment presents a critical challenge for practitioners and researchers alike.
This sentiment reflects a deeper systemic issue within interdisciplinary research, where the limitations of purely quantitative or technocentric approaches to complex socio-environmental challenges are increasingly acknowledged.
“The inquiry into whether this problem has been adequately addressed or merely obscured by the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), is something that continues to baffle me!”
Leveraging vernacular language for Disaster Literacy
বিজ্ঞান ও প্রযুক্তির মূল উদ্দেশ্যই হলো সমাজের প্রতিটি স্তরের মানুষের কাছে এর সুফল পৌঁছে দেওয়া। যদি এটি সবার জন্য সহজলভ্য এবং ব্যবহারযোগ্য না হয়, তাহলে এর সার্থকতা কোথায়?
আমরা আনন্দিত যে Disaster Risk Management এর ক্ষেত্রে আমরা এই লক্ষ্য অর্জনে সক্ষম হচ্ছি, সমাজের বিভিন্ন স্তরে এর সুফল পৌঁছে দিচ্ছি।
হুগলি ইঞ্জিনিয়ারিং অ্যান্ড টেকনোলজি কলেজকে তাদের ম্যানেজমেন্ট ডেভেলপমেন্ট প্রোগ্রামে Disaster Risk Management এর উপর একটি সেশন আয়োজন করার জন্য এবং সেখানে একটি চিন্তামূলক ও অনুপ্রেরণামূলক আলোচনা উপস্থাপনের সুযোগ দেওয়ার জন্য আমরা কৃতজ্ঞ।
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What’s the point of science and technology if it’s not made accessible and usable for all of the society?
This is true for all fields and we are glad that we are being able to make this possible in the field of disaster risk management, across the different strata of the society!
We are thankful to the Hooghly Engineering and Technology College for putting together a session on disaster risk management in its Management Development Program and inviting us to deliver a thoughtful and inspiring talk.
#democratisingrisk
#disasterriskmanagement
Data in Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Action
At #AGC2025, hosted by the ASI KOLKATA CHAPTER and NSHM Knowledge Campus, our co-founder, Dr. Repaul Kanji sparked crucial conversations that resonate deeply with the challenges we face in disaster risk reduction, climate action, and disaster response.
We often hear the rallying cry for “more data,” but are we truly understanding its nuances? Dr. Kanji emphasized the critical distinction between:
* Data: Raw, unprocessed facts.
* Information: Organized and contextualized data.
* Relevant Data: Information that directly addresses the problem at hand.
* Actionable Data: Insights that drive informed decisions and tangible outcomes.
Simply collecting data is not enough. We must focus on generating actionable insights that translate into effective strategies.
Furthermore, we need to broaden our understanding of geospatial data. It’s not limited to remote sensing. Citizen science offers a powerful avenue for generating valuable, localized data, empowering communities to actively participate in risk reduction efforts.
Perhaps most importantly, Dr. Kanji highlighted the need for innovative analytics to tackle the “wicked problems” that defy conventional solutions. We must move beyond standard methodologies and embrace creative approaches to extract meaningful insights from complex datasets.
We believe these discussions are vital and should be amplified. Let’s move beyond the surface and delve into the complexities of data, ensuring it becomes a true catalyst for resilience; data is indeed ‘The Double-Edged Sword in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Action’!
Children & Youth: Making Climate Science Popular
In our day to day conversations, we often tell children – the young minds – that the earth is #warming up, in fact it’s boiling. Don’t we? But do we ever fall back to think about what these children understand when they hear phrases like #temperaturerise? Do we walk the extra mile to make sure that the custodians of the future understand how grave the situation is?
This is exactly what we did! We hosted a sit and draw competition for over 300 children in Kolkata! Beyond the fun and creativity, we intended to instill climate awareness in young minds. We incorporated #ShowYourStripes of Kolkata into the certificate design, visually representing the city’s #risingtemperatures since the 1900s. We made it a point to explain in the #vernacularlanguage how the temperature has changed / is changing and why it is a prime concern.
We did not really imagine that these would have far fetching impacts. When we started distributing the certificates, the first thing that the children, along with their parents, did was to observe the stripes!
Voila! We were elated and amazed! 🤩
Now, when the kids rejoice on their accomplishments, they would also be aware of the larger context of the #changingclimate, leaving them inquisitive to know more.
We are glad that we are building climate and disaster #riskliteracy at such hyperlocal levels – ward and colony levels! We are trying to make climate information visual, tangible and relatable – empowering the next generation to become informed and engaged citizens. 🌍
Let’s continue to foster climate and disaster risk literacy at the grassroots level! 🌱
Children & Youth: Burdening or empowering?
@grridcorps had one of the most powerful engagements ever in #Jodhpur!
The young minds were smart enough to realise the changes around and enthusiastic about becoming a part of the solution!
Thankful to @sambhalitrust for their support!
Skilling for #DRR and #ClimateAction
Co-Founder & Technical Lead, @repaulkanji, was invited by the Centurion University of Technology and Management to deliver a talk on #disasterriskmanagement.
@grridcorps shared the space with experts like @surya.nidm from the National Institute of Disaster Management, Dr. Debajit Mishra and the discussion with the budding professionals revolved around developing #skills for #effective and #efficient #disasterriskreduction and #climateaction, which happened to be in line with what the University does; it is one of those Universities which focuses on #skilldevelopment.
@grridcorps shares its motto with the University – ’empowering communities’ and we would soon be joining hands to translate our motto into action on-ground!
G20, Brazil
Furthering cross-learning
We often see #disasters or #crises unfold before us and we get so overwhelmed that we often forget that what we see / experience are the obvious consequences of a long-drawn #process over time and space!
With this in mind, @repaulkanji spoke at @iphangovbr and Escola Nacional de Administração Pública – Enap, under the aegis of the @g20org deliberations on how #disasterrisk is #systemic and #complex and how important it is for us to understand that disasters are to be seen as processes; until and unless we do that we would never be able to address the systemic vulnerabilities and otherwise ignored historical realities!
UEM, Kolkata
Crossing disciplinary boundaries
Our Co-Founder Dr. @repaulkanji was invited for a talk at the Department of Biotechnology of the @uem.kolkata.official
We would like to thank Dr. @lahiridibyajit for the kind invitation!
Through our constant efforts and engagement, we intend to put forth a very basic idea – disaster risk reduction is everyone’s business; it is transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral!invitation!
Mehrangarh, Jodhpur
Empowering to express
@grridcorps, in collaboration with @livingwatersmuseum and the @east_india_dastangos, organised an immersive workshop for the young minds of Jodhpur from the @mayoor_chopasni_school and the l@sambhalitrust on leveraging the water culture of Jodhpur for disaster risk reduction and climate action!
We were generously supported by the @mehrangarh!
The entire body of work was conceived within the Net Zero project of @far_iccrom of @far_iccrom
The pupil saveetha eco school, Chennai
Practicality of the changing climate
GRRID Corps is on a mission to spread knowledge and inspire change, transcending geographical boundaries!
We had the privilege of visiting @thepupilsaveethaecoschool in Chennai, where we conducted an enlightening awareness session for the bright young minds.
Interacting with approximately 100 students, we delved deep into the pressing issue of climate change and the importance of climate action.
We didn’t just scratch the surface; we engaged in meaningful discussions, encouraging these future leaders to recognize their roles in the present and their responsibilities in shaping a sustainable future!
#ClimateAction #EducationForChange #GRRIDCorps #grridcorpsfordrr #grridcorpsforclimateaction #grridcorpsforsdg #SustainabilityMatters
St. Xavier’s University Kolkata
Reflections are important!
Yes, we do speak, a lot!
But, we also give space for the bright minds to share their thoughts, opinions, understandings and interpretations!
Absolutely heart-warming are those moments when after days of workshop, you hear these kids talking about almost everything sensible that we have discussed! 
For us, achievement unlocked 
at @sxukolkata
St. Xavier’s University Kolkata
How’s the weather like?
Engaging with bright minds to discuss the fundamentals of climate change through the captivating lens of stories, poems, literature, and our shared history.
A truly enlightening session with the English students of @sxukolkata 
#ClimateConversations
#LiteratureForChange
#youthforclimate
#sustainabledevelopment
St. Xavier’s University Kolkata
Spreadin’ the word – Disasters are not natural!
Excitement brewed as @grridcorps joined hands with @sxukolkata for a transformative outreach program.
Through engaging classroom sessions, which we playfully called – ‘Chai Pe Charcha’, we’re spreading the word about disaster risk reduction and climate action.
What did we talk about? Well, many things!
Hazards are not disasters, disasters are not natural and disasters aren’t just events, they’re processes.
Here’s to a future where inclusivity (we really want our approaches to be trans-disciplinary) and collaboration pave the way for resilience!
#GRRIDCorps #ClimateAction #InclusiveResilience #capacitybuilding
Jodhpur, India
Women: Agents for Climate Action
In Jodhpur, we empowered women to understand the science behind climate change and boosted their confidence to leverage traditional and generation knowledge for climate action in their hyperlocal setting.
