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Dr Richard Johnson, Geography, University of Cumbria
Dr Ceri Davies, Geography, University of Gloucestershire
Abstract
The Indian Himalaya is a geodynamically active, culturally rich and biodiverse region that is increasingly exposed to floods, landslides, wildfires and earthquakes. Focusing on the mountain states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, we examine how climate change and rapid infrastructure development are amplifying hazard impacts and challenging disaster resilience. Our central aim is to improve understanding of evolving flood hazards, vulnerability and exposure, and the resulting environmental and societal losses. We apply this knowledge to build connections, capacities and tools that strengthen disaster resilience. Drawing upon a portfolio of ongoing research and knowledge exchange projects, including HiFlo-DAT, HiFlo-PAT, HiFlo-REC and HiFlo-APP, we present emerging insights and practical solutions.
HiFlo-DAT is an English-language documentary archive analysis. In the Kullu District, it documents 128 flood events at 59 locations over a 175-year period (1846-2020), providing evidence to support revision of district disaster management planning and community resilience initiatives. The approach has transferable value across the wider Indian Himalayan Region and has subsequently been trialled in the Chamoli District through the integration of archival evidence and local community knowledge.
HiFlo-PAT comprises a systematic assembly of local-language records relating to historical flood impacts in the Kullu District. Through evaluation of restricted-access Patwari (village accountant) daily record books, the project seeks to reconnect local government and community actors with historical flood experience, enhancing risk awareness and disaster resilience.
HiFlo-REC is an ongoing flood hazard, vulnerability and risk project focused on Kasol Nalla in the Parvati Valley. Using flood palaeohydrology, dendrochronology, archival analysis, community surveys and participatory GIS, the project evaluates multiple lines of evidence associated with the 1875 landslide-flood event while reconstructing the longer-term flood history of the catchment.
HiFlo-APP advances community participation through the development of Apada Sahayak (https://apadasahayak.com/), a free bilingual mobile application designed to strengthen citizen reporting, information exchange and preparedness. Launched in July 2026 in the Kullu District, the app connects residents, local government authorities and researchers through a participatory digital platform. Users can submit hazard observations, view incidents on interactive maps, receive push notifications and access evidence-informed guidance on preparedness, response and recovery.
Collectively, these initiatives demonstrate how historical evidence, community knowledge and digital innovation can be integrated to strengthen flood resilience and support more effective disaster risk reduction across the Indian Himalayan Region.
Dr Richard Johnson is an Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Cumbria, Ambleside. Throughout his career in academia and environmental consultancy as an applied geomorphologist, he has worked extensively in mountain environments, investigating sediment systems, flood and landslide hazards, and disaster risk reduction (DRR). His early research focused on sediment cascades and extreme flood events in the English Lake District, before expanding to the highly sensitive landscapes of the Indian Himalaya.
Over the last 15 years, he has worked extensively in Himachal Pradesh, particularly the Kullu District, and in Uttarakhand, including the Almora and Chamoli Districts. These activities have involved collaboration with Indian, UK and Canadian higher education institutions, government authorities, humanitarian organisations, environmental consultancies, and local indigenous and exiled communities. His research has addressed historical flood occurrence, environmental and societal impacts, community-based DRR using traditional and digital approaches, and hydropower planning. He was Co-Principal Investigator of the UGC-UKIERI HiFlo-DAT (Himalayan Flood Database) project and Principal Investigator of the British Council-funded HiFlo-APP project. He currently serves as an International Advisor to the University of Delhi Centre for Himalayan Studies and is a Life Member of the Association of Punjab Geographers.
Dr Ceri Davies is a Lecturer in Physical Geography at the University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham. Her current research focuses on community-based river management, working with citizen action groups in the UK focusing on water quality testing and Natural Flood Management techniques. She has also worked collaboratively with          Dr Rich Johnson for nearly a decade and been a co-investigator for the HiFlo-DAT historical flood and flood reconstruction research projects in the Indian Himalaya.
Location (Physical/Zoom) TBC