STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Cotton University’s Centre for Clouds and Climate Change Research hosted a virtual meeting on November 18 to launch major climate research collaboration with the Royal University of Bhutan. The meeting was chaired by Dr Rahul Mahanta and co-chaired by Dr Ugyen Dorji, with senior leaders including Cotton University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ramesh Ch. Deka and international experts from Japan and Bangladesh in attendance.
Dr Mahanta outlined shared environmental concerns faced by Bhutan and Northeast India, including glacier retreat, monsoon shifts, lightning incidents and transboundary air pollution. The meeting agreed to jointly develop a proposal for the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research under the project title “Climate Extremes, Water Security, and Community Resilience in the Eastern Himalayas”.
Both institutions decided to formalize their partnership through a MoU and form a Joint Steering Committee with Bhutan’s National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology and the National Environment Commission. Plans for pilot projects such as a lightning alert system and an air quality monitoring network were also discussed.
Japanese experts expressed strong support for the initiative, and tech entrepreneur Kalyanjit Hatibaruah facilitated the collaboration. The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to advancing climate research and strengthening resilience in the Eastern Himalayas.
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