ISDR partners

ISDR has signed the Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) with the following National and International Institutions

1) OUGS(ME):- UK /Switzerland :-

The Mainland Europe Branch of the Open University Geological Society,OUGS , U.K., is one of eighteen branches serving some ca. 3 000 members in the UK, Ireland and abroad. Its members are recruited mainly from the European Mainland, but there are no geographical restrictions. Present and past students of the Open University are eligible for full membership, associate membership is open to all. Founded in 2000 as the smallest branch by membership but the largest by area, numbers have continued to grow since its foundation and it now counts some 50 active members. As a new branch and with widely distributed members (ca. 14 countries) it had the opportunity to base its organisation on modern electronic communication, producing in its first few months of activity a branch website and an electronic newsletter which appears quarterly. The majority of members are graduates or post graduate students.

OUGSME's main activities to date have been the organisation of geological field trips which have included sites in France, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Turkey, Italy and Greenland; an annual three-day meeting is held in January in one of the countries represented by members, to date: Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria and Germany; a further four-day invitation event is held in Switzerland each summer.

The newsletter provides geological information and reports. The website provides information on past and future trips and selected articles from the newsletter. It also offers active help and information to students and scientists alike and is used as reference by various authors.

As a student organisation, with charitable status, it receives a modest grant per capita membership annually from its parent organisation for the branch administration and further funds are generated by field trips and activities. Resources include PCs and a variety of up-to-date software, GPS, a fully-equipped office, library facilities including field notes and CD-ROMs and limited equipment for field trips.

In 2004, a joint project with a Russian team on a geo-risk theme was accepted for funding by the European Union. As a relatively new organisation but with worldwide professional contacts, we are jointly extending activities to cover areas where we can offer assistance and resources. The headquarters are in Bern, Switzerland. The branch manager is Annette Kimmich (Bern): Address: Moosstrasse 25, CH-3113 Rubigen, Switzerland;

E-mail: mainland.europe@ougs.org; geology.group@bluewin.ch; deputy manager and webmaster is Ole Nielsen (Brussels) and treasurer is Mike Molloy (Germany).

2) CGSI , Switzerland :-

In 1999 the International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans (IAPSO) presented a resolution for the establishment of The International Commission on Groundwater-Seawater Interactions , CGSI. During the year 2000, action was initiated to form an IAHS/IAPSO Joint Commission. Since 2004, CGSI has been working as an IAPSO Commission.

Terms of reference of the Commission:

• To foster research concerning the flow of groundwater into the coastal zone. This can be done by holding symposia, conducting meetings at IAPSO events, and preparing proposals to sponsor research.
• To participate in research on SGD within developing countries. This research must be conducted at the highest level with full participation from scientists within the developing countries. Members of the joint commission will collaborate with scientists from developing countries to develop proposals to national and international agencies to sponsor such research.
• To engage in capacity building and training, so that research concerning groundwater discharge to the coastal zone may be conducted in areas where there is a deficiency in such studies. The capacity building activities have to be conducted via training workshops, joint research projects, and fellowships for scientists from developing countries to visit laboratories with active programmes in this field.

Since its inception, CGSI has participated in international research efforts and organised meetings. To date, 147 specialists in hydrology, oceanology, engineering and management from 48 different countries have become members.

Criteria for membership are:

• Interest and active involvement in CGSI-related fields;
• A desire to raise awareness of this newly-emerging scientific domaine;
• Contributions to the CGSI effort, whether this be as a participant at meetings or as a possible collaborator in a CGSI research activity and to aid in the collection of ideas and proposals for the development of the Commission as well as the dissemination of relevant information.

There are no membership fees. From time to time information is distributed through a newsletter.

For details: gs-water@bluewin.ch

3) MTES, Muktainagr , India :-

Muktainagar Taluka Education Society, MTES, Muktainagar, Maharashtra is a registered Non Governmental Organisation, registered under the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950, working in the North Maharashtra region of Central India. The Society is affiliated to North Maharashtra University, India, M.P. Agriculture University, Rahuri, India and Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board Nasik.

MTES provides education and training to more than 6000 + students and professionals, from preprimary level to University Post Graduate Degrees, with 250 employees, 75 hectares land with 7000 m2 of built-up area and 500 m2 of hostel buildings. The society has well-equipped laboratories for education and training in Arts, Commerce, science and technology, agriculture, information and communication technology. MTES has developed the computer center with more than 200 + PCs with computational facilities . The Annual budget of the MTES is Rs 51,024,450 (USD 1,135,000), The Society received annual grants to the amount of Rs. 22,500,000=00 (USD 500,000) from Maharashtra Government, the Government of India ,University Grants Commission and other organizations .

Mr.V.R. Patil is President; Dr.C.S. Chaudhari is Secretary and Mr.E.G.Khadse is executive council member. Mr. E.G. Khadse is an elected member of Maharashtra State Legislature (India) from 1990-95, 1995-1999, 1999-2004 and 2004 till date. He is member of the Public Accounts Committee of the State Legislature and was also the Minister for the Finance and Planning, Irrigation and Water Resources, Energy, Higher and Technical Education of Maharashtra State during 1995-1999. He is founder member of the MTES and other major institutions in the Maharashtra region.

The contact person is Mr.R.P.Patil Joint Secretary of the Society: Address - Muktainagar Taluka Education Society, Muktainagar, Post Code- 425306, Maharashtra State , India .

4) NIT, Kurukshetra , India

National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, Haryana (founded as Regional Engineering College, Kurukshetra as joint venture of State and Central Governments) is a premier Technical Institute of the country. This Institute was conferred upon status of Deemed To Be University on June 26, 2002. Since then, it has been renamed as National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra. (Deemed University) and it has been fully funded by the Government of India. The Institute started functioning in its present campus at Kurukshetra in 1965-66 with under graduate courses in Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. Later, Electronics & Communication Engg. and Computer Engg. courses were added along with 8 Nos. graduate programmes. The Institute started Ph.D. programmes in all the engineering disciplines as well as Applied science courses. The Institute further expanded during 2006-2007 by introducing two more under graduate programmes in Information Technology & Industrial Engineering & Management in addition to six graduate programmes in Engineering & Technology and one graduate programme in Management (MBA). At present the total intake at UG level is 540 and about 300 at PG level.

In addition to providing instructions in various disciplines of Engineering and Technology at the Undergraduate and Postgraduate level, the Institute offers excellent facilities for advanced research in the emerging areas of Science and Technology. So far, the Institute has produced about 160 Ph.D.s and about 120 research scholars are registered under this programme. The syllabus and the curricula are being constantly updated to meet the growing demands and need of the country and the globe as a whole. The official website of the Institute is www.nitkkr.ac.in