Dr. Gaurav Talukdar

 

Brief Details:

Dr. Gaurav Talukdar is presently working as a Research Scientist at North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), Department of Space, Govt. of India. I have a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (water resources specialization) from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati under the supervision of Prof. Arup Kumar Sarma and Prof. Rajib Kumar Bhattacharjya. I completed my Master of Technology (water resources specialization) from National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela in 2016. Prior to joining my doctoral studies, I have worked as an Assistant Professor in National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), Berhampur, Odisha from July 2016 to Dec 2016. I received the International Travel Support (ITS) grant by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India in 2021 during my doctoral period. I was also awarded the Best paper award under the theme of Climate Change in HYDRO 2018 International Conference (Hydraulics, Water Resources and Coastal Engineering), held at NIT Patna, India.

My research work focuses on optimally utilizing the riverine ecosystem keeping in view the socio-economic perspective of the communities residing and dependent on it for their livelihood. My doctoral research, titled 'Utilizing Riverine Ecosystem for Optimal Benefits,' encompasses a broad spectrum of disciplines, including hydrology, sediment analysis, agriculture, hydrodynamic modeling, geospatial techniques, and risk assessment. During my doctoral studies, I developed optimization and damage estimation models to determine optimal cropping patterns in a complex riverine ecosystem under uncertainties that would be beneficial for the marginalized community and dwellers practicing agriculture and farming activities. As more people shift from traditional farming to the industrial sector, there is a growing need to examine the implications of this transition on food production. Simultaneously, the global demand for food continues to rise, necessitating strategies to ensure that the growing population can be adequately fed. The research aims to explore how these factors impact food security and sustainability in urbanized areas and seeks to develop solutions to meet the increasing demand for food in a rapidly changing landscape. Through research, I have published in reputed scientific journals in the domain of water resources, hydrology and agriculture environment alongside working in collaboration with international universities. As a researcher, I believe with technological and scientific advancements we can work towards the benefit of the society and adapt quickly to changing environmental conditions.

Research

Rapidly increasing population and rising food demand necessitates expansion of agricultural mainland. However, with accelerated urbanization, agricultural land resources are difficult to expand. The riverine sandbars offer a vast fertile terrain that is conducive to agricultural food production and could support the global food demands despite urbanization. Nevertheless, hydroclimatic factors like streamflow and precipitation have an impact on the availability of agricultural land and potential crop damage in riverine ecosystems. A substantial component of the uncertainty in agricultural productivity comes from seasonal variations linked to inter-annual climate fluctuations. Therefore, understanding the complicated phenomena of streamflow in a riverine environment is important for agricultural and water resources decision making. The study demonstrates the agricultural economic benefits from cultivation in riverine sandbars through optimization framework and short term forecasting under stochastic streamflow. A damage estimation model was developed to evaluate the economic losses an optimally planned riverine agricultural area would suffer, if the flow variation exceeds a certain threshold. Therefore, this framework of integrating optimization, forecasting and damage estimation approaches contribute to a better understanding of optimally utilizing the riverine sandbars, thereby improving the socio-economic status of marginalized communities and providing potential additional land resources to sustain food security and production.  The research works provide a vision towards utilizing the landmasses formed due to hydrological processes and morphological changes within the rivers around the globe that could sustain the food demand of the ever-increasing population.

Teaching

Hydrologic analysis is a fundamental subject within the field of civil and environmental engineering, aimed at understanding and managing water resources effectively. The study of hydrologic analysis will equip students with crucial knowledge and skills to address various challenges related to water management, environmental sustainability, infrastructure development, coping with natural disasters etc. Hydrograph analysis is a crucial tool in understanding and mitigating the impacts of flooding events. It involves the study of river discharge over time, typically in response to precipitation events. By examining the shape, magnitude, and timing of hydrographs, experts can gain insights into a watershed's hydrological behavior. This information is invaluable for predicting and managing floods, designing effective flood control infrastructure, such as levees, dams, and retention basins. Additionally, hydrograph analysis is helpful in post-flood assessment. Analyzing the hydrographs during and after a flood event helps researchers understand its causes and impacts. This information can guide future flood mitigation strategies and urban planning to minimize flood risks. In conclusion, hydrograph analysis plays a pivotal role in linking the dynamics of river systems to flooding events. It assists in flood risk assessment, forecasting, and post-event evaluation, ultimately contributing to more resilient and flood-resistant communities. These learning objectives are designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of hydrologic analysis.

Google Scholar Link:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=z6SkmYQAAAAJ