CHENNAI: A two-day Indo-Norwegian workshop on geo-hazards began on Thursday.

Experts discussed the strength of Indian and Norwegian institutions researching tsunamis and landslides in identifying research areas of common interest in disaster management.

The workshop, sponsored by the Union Department of Science and Technology and the International Centre for Geo-hazards (ICG), Norway, is being organised by the Institute of Remote Sensing (IRS), Anna University. The participants addressed the problems of the tsunami-hit areas in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, besides those in neighbouring countries.

The Union Department of Science and Technology and ICG, Norway, have signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperating in disaster management.

Anna University Vice-Chancellor D. Viswanathan said the Department of Science and Technology had identified the Institute of Remote Sensing to act as a nodal agency for implementing the project, `Institutional support and human resources development in applied research for assessment, prevention, mitigation and early warning of tsunamis and landslides in India.'

The project has been evolved for effective interaction of institutions engaged in disaster management in India and Norway, he said. The proposed tsunami early warning system would cover both areas that impacted the Indian Ocean, Sumatra and Makran.

Dr. Viswanathan said the activities would include setting up of a network of land-based seismic stations for earthquake detection and estimation of parameters, development of a deep ocean assessment and reporting system and establishment of a network of 50 automatic tide gauges. Efforts would be made to obtain better upper ocean and surface ocean meteorological observations and set up coastal observation radars and current meter moorings.

He said the workshop would facilitate sharing of ideas to facilitate tsunami hazard evaluation using satellite imagery and geological and risk analyses by studying slide dynamics and tsunami warning systems.

Farrokh Nadim, Director, International Centre for Geo-hazards, Norway, and Kaare Hoeg, Chairman, Steering Committee, ICG, Norway, called for concerted efforts to tackle major disasters.

Suzanne Lacasse, Director, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway, spoke about the cooperation projects in India.

Siddarthan, Advisor, Royal Norwegian Embassy, New Delhi, outlined the importance of the joint working groups set up as part of the Indo-Norwegian Joint Commission to address problems relating to tsunami and landslides.

R. Sivakumar, Head, NRDMS, Department of Science and Technology, and S. Kaliappan, Director in-charge, IRS, Anna University, spoke.

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