Faculty
Dr. Amir Ali Khan
Professor
Email: amir[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Dr. Amir Ali Khan is a trained Civil Engineer and Urban Planner with a Ph.D. on Urban Earthquake Risk Mitigation. He has a Post Graduate Diploma in Studies of Geological Risks from the University of Geneva. In addition, he has been trained by several international organisations on the subjects related to disaster risk management and mitigation in Asia and Europe. Dr. Khan has served UNDP for about two years as National Disaster Reduction Advisor in Uzbekistan. During his stay with UNDP, Dr. Khan served as Chairperson of the UN Uzbekistan's 'Disaster Preparedness and Response Group'. He was also the UN focal point on humanitarian assistance. He has varied experience in the area of disaster risk mitigation and management at national and international level for programme development and management, knowledge management and communication, capacity enhancement, partnership building and networking, etc. His current areas of interests include capacity building for earthquake risk mitigation especially in urban areas, post disaster reconstruction and rehabilitation, mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into development and formulation of disaster management plans.
Dr. Navneet Kumar
Professor
Email: navneet[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Navneet Kumar holds a PhD in Engineering (Hydrology and Climatology) from the University of Bonn, Germany and a Master’s degree in Geoinformatics from the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), Netherlands. He has worked on various aspects of disaster risk reduction and management, advanced applications of remote sensing and GIS for flood, drought, and landslide risk assessment, mapping, and modelling with particular emphasis on the real-time monitoring frameworks, climate change and risk analysis and land degradation. He coordinated several projects in Africa and Asia, including India, West Africa, Algeria, Ethiopia, and South Korea. He has contributed to capacity-building initiatives at the Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences based in Tlemcen, Algeria and collaborated on a global classroom program with institutions in the USA and Brazil. Prof. Kumar has lectured, conducted trainings and workshops, and presented at several international conferences and earned several awards. He has published several papers in International peer-reviewed journals, co-edited four handbooks, co-authored several book chapters, proceedings, and global reports reflecting both scientific rigour and policy relevance. Prof. Kumar also served as a guest editor for various international journals, reviewer of several grant proposals from Germany, Austria and Czech Republic and served as a member of international committees. Prior to Joining NIDM, Prof. Kumar worked at the University of Bonn, Germany. In this capacity, he had coordinated disciplinary PhD courses and participated as a member of the ethical committee for the doctoral program at ZEF as well as coordinated several research and capacity building projects. Additionally, he has held a position at the United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), also located in Bonn, Germany. His responsibilities included the proactive promotion, strengthening, and expansion of scientific networks to establish partnerships with pertinent institutions, including United Nations organizations (UNDRR, UNOOSA, UNCCD).
Dr. Ajinder Walia
Associate Professor
Email: ajinder[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Ajinder Walia is a doctorate in Sociology working as a faculty in National Institute of Disaster Management and erstwhile National Centre for Disaster Management since 2003. She has been working in the area of social aspects of Disaster Risk Reduction with a focus on Gender and Disasters, Community-Based Disaster Risk Management, Psychosocial care in Disasters, School Safety and Development of Disaster Management Plans at the village and community level. Along with publications in journals and books, she has also developed training modules on Gender and Disaster Management and Development of Village Disaster Management Plan.
Dr. Sushma Guleria
Associate Professor
Email: sushma[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Dr. Sushma Guleria holds a PhD in Disaster Management, focusing on post-tsunami Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Tamil Nadu. Since 2006, she has been associated with the National Institute of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, and currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Environmental Disaster Risk Management Division. She previously worked on a World Bank-supported School Environment Education project with the Ministry of Environment and Forests. A recipient of the World Bank Young Researcher’s Grant (2005–2006), Dr. Guleria has over 17 years of experience in Disaster Risk Reduction. She currently leads the Centers for Climate Resilience & Environment and Water & Land DRR, focusing on eco-DRR, climate disasters, community resilience, and sustainable livelihoods. She regularly contributes to training institutes, DM centers, and universities across India in the DRR realm. Dr. Guleria has authored over 30 publications, including journal articles, book chapters, policy briefs, and disaster documentation.
Dr. Gubbala China Satyanarayana
Associate Professor
Dr. G. China Satyanarayana is an accomplished Atmospheric Scientist with over 20 years of experience in teaching, research, and operational meteorology, specializing in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), early warning systems, and climate resilience. He holds M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Meteorology and Oceanography from Andhra University, with research on Northeast Monsoon variability and cyclonic storm simulation. He has worked at leading institutions including CRIDA–ICAR, IITM–MoES, NARL–ISRO, and NCMRWF–MoES, gaining expertise in numerical weather prediction, satellite meteorology, and operational forecasting. Currently, he serves as an Associate Professor at the NIDM, South Campus, Government of India, contributing to multi-hazard risk assessment, disaster preparedness, capacity building, and policy-oriented research. His work focuses on extreme weather events such as heat waves, thunderstorms, cyclones, extreme rainfall, and floods, using AI/ML-based early warning systems, WRF modelling, INSAT-based nowcasting, and climate projections. He has published over 65 SCI-indexed papers, holds patents, and has led several projects funded by SERB, DST, CSIR, ISRO, MoES, ANRF, and APSDMA. An Associate Fellow of IMS and the Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences, he is a recipient of multiple national awards. His vision is to integrate advanced modelling, satellite data, and AI to strengthen early warning systems and enhance climate resilience.
Shri Shiv Narayan Sidh
Assistant Professor
Email: shivsidh[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Heading Environmental Risk Management Division (ERMD) at NIDM along with center for Forest and biodiversity Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Centre for Hill Area DRR at NIDM. Have worked as Nodal Officer of RUSA, Department Higher Education, Government of Uttarakhand and Assistant Director Higher Education, Govt of UK. Headed a College as Principal, Govt PG College Gairsain. Core area of Research: Forest, Gender, Climate change, food security and community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM). Heading projects on National programme on Climate change and human health in collaboration with National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and family Welfare Project on Ministry of Ayush-Disaster Management Plan in Collaboration with Ministry of Ayush.
Shri Shekher Chaturvedi
Assistant Professor
Email: shekher[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
A post graduate with diploma in Computer Applications, he has been associated with the National Institute of Disaster Management since 1996 having more than 27 years of experience in DRR field. He is pursuing his PhD on Community Preparedness Indicators: Journey from Odisha Super Cyclone to Phailin Cyclone. He has to his credit International certificates on Community Based Disaster Management from ADPC and Disaster Management course from UNHCR. He had also published modules on District Disaster Management Plan, Incident Response System (Basic & Intermediate) and Crowd Management. He also has to his credit an IGoT course on Crowd Management. During the span of his services, he has been engaged in various NIDM activities such as documentation of Fani Cyclone, Balasore Train Accident, Trikut Ropeway Accident, etc. His major areas of intervention are Disaster Management Plans, Community Based Disaster Preparedness, Incident Response System and Railway Accident Related Disasters. He facilitates the centres of Response & Relief and Mass Congregation in NIDM.
Dr. Prerna Joshi
Assistant Professor
Email: prerna[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Dr. Prerna Joshi is an environmental scientist with a strong academic background in Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. and M.Phil. in Environmental Sciences from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, and a B.Sc. in Agriculture from GBPUAT, Pantnagar, where she received the Vice Chancellor’s Gold Medal and Dr. Ram Siromani Tewari Award for academic excellence. Her early research focused on wetlands and agricultural systems in arid and semi-arid regions, published in reputed international journals. She has presented her work at several national and international conferences. Previously, Dr. Joshi has contributed to international cooperation in the education sector through roles at the G20 Secretariat and the International Cooperation Cell, Ministry of Education, Government of India. She has also worked with the University Grants Commission and taught undergraduate students at the University of Delhi.
Dr. Gagandeep Singh
Assistant Professor
Email: gagandeep[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Dr. Gagandeep Singh is a Civil Engineer with an M.Tech Degree in Remote Sensing and GIS from NIT Warangal. He holds a Ph.D. in Water Resources Development from IIT Roorkee, where his research focused on flash flood vulnerability, susceptibility and modeling in Himalayan River basins. Prior to joining NIDM, Dr. Singh has over four years of experience in teaching engineering undergraduate and graduate students in Uttarakhand. His expertise and interests span geospatial applications in water resources, hydrological modeling, flood risk assessment, and soil erosion analysis. His research has been published in reputed international journals. He received the Best Water Resources Student Award 2023 for his Ph.D. Research, DST-ITS travel grant (2022), and the OKP fellowship (2019) from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At NIDM, he is associated with the Centre for Water and Land DRR.
Dr. Arkaprabha Sarkar
Assistant Professor
Email: arkaprabha[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Arkaprabha holds a doctorate degree in Geology from University of Delhi. His research interests are mass movements, soil science, hillslope processes, critical zone studies, sediment connectivity and geochronology. While working as a project scientist previously, he has played a pivotal role in establishing the Pranmati Basin Himalayan Critical Zone Observatory in Uttarakhand, the first of its kind in the Himalayan region. He is the recipient of the Maharshi Kanad Post Doctoral Fellowship.
Dr. Pankaj Kumar
Assistant Professor
Email: pankajkumar[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Pankaj Kumar holds Ph.D. and M.Tech. in Disaster Mitigation & Management from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, and B.Tech. in Computer Science & Engineering from Uttar Pradesh Technical University, Lucknow. He is involved in conducting training programs on advanced technologies such as Early Warning Systems, Cyber Security, Earthquake’s Risk Reduction Approaches, and Application of Artificial Intelligence in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). Before joining NIDM, he worked as a Project Consultant in Earthquake Early Warning System Laboratory, Centre of Excellence in Disaster Mitigation & Management, at Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee and played crucial role in developing and operationalizing India’s First Earthquake Early Warning System Developed for Uttarakhand region encompasses establishing Regional Earthquake Early Warning Systems, Instrumentation of Sensors in the Seismogenic regions, Setting up of the Central Server, Sensor-to-Server Communication, Processing of Ground Motion Data, Development of Algorithms, Design & Fabrication of Warning Dissemination Device comprising of Control Unit and Sirens, Development of App for Android and iOS mobile users.
Shri Amarjeet Kumar
Assistant Professor
Email: amarjeet[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Amarjeet Kumar is an urban planner with a Bachelor's in Urban and Regional Planning from JNA&FAU and a Master's in City Planning from IIT Kharagpur, where he is also pursuing his Ph.D. His current work interest focuses on Disaster Risk Reduction, Post-Disaster Recovery, Urban and Infrastructure Resilience. He is skilled in tools like ArcGIS, SPSS, R, Python, and VISUM, and has presented his work at national and international forums.
Shri Rohit Kumar
Assistant Professor
Email: rohit[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Rohit Kumar is presently pursuing a Ph.D. in Disaster Risk Governance from the Special Centre for Disaster Research, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), with a doctoral focus on governance frameworks in the Himalayan region. His academic background includes an M.A. in Public Administration (with a focus on public policy and disaster management) from IGNOU and a B.A. (Hons.) in Chinese from JNU. Mr. Kumar has contributed to both research and practice in disaster resilience, having authored peer-reviewed publications on resilience and governance in DRR..
Shri Manjeet Singh
Assistant Professor
Email: manjeetsingh[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Manjeet Singh holds an M.Sc. in Disaster Management from Pondicherry University (Andaman Campus), an M.A. in Geography from HNB Garhwal University, and a B.A. (Hons.) in Geography from the University of Delhi. He has also qualified UGC-NET JRF in Disaster Management. His research interests are Drought, Locust attacks, Climate Change impacts on spring ecosystems, and sustainable water resource management.
Shri Kumar Abhinay
Research Associate
Email: kabhinay[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Kumar Abhinay is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at IIT Roorkee with a focus on wetlands, climate change, nature-based solutions, and blue–green infrastructure. As part of his doctoral work, he received the prestigious Future Environmental Leaders Scholarship and served as a Visiting Researcher at the United Nations University (UNU-FLORES), Dresden, Germany. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) from NIT Patna, followed by an M.Tech. in Disaster Management from the Centre of Excellence in Disaster Mitigation and Management (CoEDMM), IIT Roorkee, where he developed expertise in disaster risk reduction, and resilience-building strategies. During his master’s program, he received the Indo-German DAAD Fellowship and completed a year-long research stay at TU Dresden, Germany.
Dr. Vishal Katekar
Research Associate
Email: vishalk[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Dr. Vishal Katekar holds a PhD in Public Policy, Law & Governance from the Central University of Rajasthan, with doctoral research on the application of digital technologies for sustainable agriculture. He has an academic background in Electronics Engineering (B.E.) and Public Administration (M.A.). Dr. Katekar has served as Assistant Professor of Public Administration at Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University (KKSU), Maharashtra, and as a Teaching Associate at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie. He has experience in research and national-level project implementation, having worked as a Research Officer at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), Delhi, and as Assistant Manager (Research) for the “Kisan Sarathi” digital agriculture project, a joint initiative of ICAR and Digital India Corporation under Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY).
Shri Satyam Raj
Research Associate
Email: satyam[dot]nidm[at]nic[dot]in
Satyam Raj holds a B.Tech in Agricultural Engineering from Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Cooch Behar, an M.Tech in Rural Technology from IIT Guwahati, and a postgraduate course in Public Policy & Management from IIM Visakhapatnam. His research interests focus on sustainable rural technologies and RS–GIS–based resource assessment. He has worked with the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, where he led key initiatives in skill development, micro-enterprise promotion, and livelihood enhancement. He has also contributed significantly to disaster response efforts in Northeast India during floods, landslides, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms. Vinita Kumari
Research Associate
Vinita Kumari is a disaster management professional with over a decade of experience in planning, implementing and managing emergency, crisis management and sustainable development projects at district, state and national level across India for government, public/ private and development sector organizations. She has worked on knowledge-sharing platforms on climate technologies, as well as environmental and social safeguards, coastal resilience, school safety, HRVCA, disaster management planning, and community-based preparedness. Her expertise spans research, documentation, programme implementation, stakeholder coordination, capacity building, and multi-institutional collaboration.