- Dr Komal Raj Aryal has been conducting multiple crisis and disaster management action-based research with various national and international agencies, governments and communities across the region
- Northwest Indian Himalayas and Nepal have been facing multiple crisis and disaster incidents and are the most vulnerable regions in the world
- His work is part of a four-year partnership between the United Kingdom and India.
An Aston University academic has been actively supporting hill communities that have been highly exposed to multiple hazards in the Northwest Indian Himalayas and Nepal.
In the last ten years, a series of devastating disaster incidents caused multiple natural hazards severely impacting hill communities in the region. In response, the UK and Indian governments, alongside local communities, have been working to build disaster-resilient systems to support Himalayan sustainability.
Dr Komal Raj Aryal, a crisis and disaster management expert at Aston Business School, has been conducting field research and working closely with local communities to aid in reducing multiple risks associated with natural hazards and providing expertise to plan effectively for potential crises.
His work is part of a four-year partnership between three UK universities (Aston University, University of Cambridge and Lancaster University) and three academic institutions including Central University of Himachal Pradesh in India. The research focuses on earthquake risk reduction, providing effective response and resilience building at local levels across Himachal Pradesh India and Western regions of Nepal.
Since arriving in India in mid-January 2025, Dr Aryal has been engaged in field research in areas highly prone to earthquakes, landslides, floods and forest fires. In partnership with the Central University of Himachal Pradesh, he has been collaborating with state and district disaster management authorities and local communities, assessing the earthquake's impact and analysing local disaster response strategies. His work also focuses on localised crisis and disaster awareness in the region.
Dr Aryal, a lecturer in crisis and disaster management at Aston Business School, said:
“It was a great pleasure to work with the most marginalised hills communities, particularly the Pahadi communities in Northwest Indian Himalayas and Nepal.
“It was a privilege to apply the knowledge I have gained over the past 25 years, first studying and later working for various academic institutions in the United Kingdom and currently at Aston Business School to support communities that have been highly exposed to multiple hazards, particularly the earthquakes, landslides, floods and wildfire.
“In the next four years, in partnership with Central University of Himachal Pradesh, I hope to coordinate multiple local disaster scenarios-based exercises on crisis and disaster risk management using innovative user-friendly tools and technologies to prepare various future disaster incidents directly contribute to long-term response and recovery efforts in remote villages.”
Professor (Dr) Sat Prakash Bansal, vice chancellor of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh, said:
“I am so proud of knowing Dr Komal and his research team’s innovative tools and techniques to reduce risk at local levels and his tireless efforts in supporting hill communities of Himachal Pradesh and Nepal.
“Their research is not only impactful for local disaster responses but also invaluable in shaping future risk and response governance strategies globally through the post-Sendai Framework of Action for Disaster Risk Reduction.”
In his closing remarks of a three-day training in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh, India, Mr Rahul Chauhan, HAS, assistant deputy commissioner and head of Hamirpur District Disaster Management Authority, said:
“The 3D models and Lego-based disaster preparedness training developed by experts of Aston University in partnership will help us to prepare future disaster planning in our district.
“We will continue to use these tools and techniques in the coming days.”
- Notes to Editors
More about the project
The research is being funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Impact Accelerator Fund of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). This collaboration is part of a broader initiative between the UK and Indian governments, designed to enhance geohazards risk resilience and resilience management.
Over the next four years, this collaboration aims to co-create innovative solutions to earthquake risk reduction and response planning that benefit to India, Nepal and the UK.
About Aston University
For over a century, Aston University’s enduring purpose has been to make our world a better place through education, research and innovation, by enabling our students to succeed in work and life, and by supporting our communities to thrive economically, socially and culturally.
Aston University’s history has been intertwined with the history of Birmingham, a remarkable city that once was the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and the manufacturing powerhouse of the world.
Born out of the First Industrial Revolution, Aston University has a proud and distinct heritage dating back to our formation as the School of Metallurgy in 1875, the first UK College of Technology in 1951, gaining university status by Royal Charter in 1966, and becoming The Guardian University of the Year in 2020.
Building on our outstanding past, we are now defining our place and role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Sam Cook, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7446 910063 or email: s.cook2@aston.ac.uk
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