Gauhati University hosts inclusive disaster communication workshop

A CORRESPONDENT

AZARA: Assam Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta stressed the need for responsible and accurate media reporting during disasters to ensure timely dissemination of information and prevent panic.

Mahanta was speaking at the ‘Inclusive Communication for Resilience’ workshop organised at Gauhati University by its Department of Communication and Journalism in collaboration with the Assam State Disaster Management Authority and the Centre for Brahmaputra Studies.

Gauhati University Vice-Chancellor Professor Nani Gopal Mahanta highlighted Assam’s vulnerability to floods and other disasters and the challenges posed by climate change. He said effective communication, timely information and public awareness could help reduce the impact of disasters. Workshop convenor Dr Bharati Bharali stressed the need for greater attention to disaster management, disability and mental health in Assam. She said education and communication played an important role in building awareness, preparedness and resilience.

The programme also saw the release of ‘Compendium on Climate Change Communication: Narratives & India’s North East’, edited by Dr Bharati Bharali and Dr Anupa Lahkar Goswami, and ‘From Perception to Action: A Photographic Chronicle of Climate Change Advocacy and the Role of Media in Assam (2025)’.

Professor Dr Jyoti Hazarika, Director, Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, and Pavani Gupta, Joint Director, Press Information Bureau, Guwahati, also addressed the programme. Faculty members, research scholars, ASDMA officials and students attended the workshop.

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