A team of 23 Ph. D. scholars and faculty members of AMMACHI Labs, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, under the guidance of Dr. Tarek Rashed, Co-Founder of Civilizology LLC, visited a tribal community in Nellarachal in Wayanad district of Kerala, from October 12- 15, 2018, to test the conceptual framework of the vulnerability mapping project.

Dr. Tarek Rashed is a Visiting Professor at AMMACHI Labs (Amrita Multi Modal Applications Using Computer & Human Interaction), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri campus. He teaches a graduate course, ‘Environmental Decision Making: Vulnerability and Community Disaster Resilience from an Information Perspective’ at Amrita. The semester-long course is geared to help students gain a solid understanding in two overlapping areas related to disaster risk management through societal vulnerability and science & technology. The seminar is structured around class activities, labs, and field exercises.

This pilot study was in many ways, a feasibility study, conducted to review if the framework captured the scope of the research deliverables well and the depth of the subject matter with all its essential nuances.

“I have been enjoying my visit to Amrita and am very impressed with the world-class innovation and scholarship I’ve seen here,” said Dr. Rashed.

He added, “I am fortunate to be affiliated with Ammachi Labs during my short-term stay and to engage with researchers and graduate students from the lab on daily basis on ideas and technologies to strengthen community resilience in rural India. In addition, I am grateful for the hospitality, kindness, and friendly attitude I have received from everyone here, including local people I met during my unforgettable experience of fieldwork in north Kerala. This is my first visit to Amrita, and I certainly hope it launches a foundation for long-lasting collaboration and joint initiatives.”