Basanta referred to his time in Austria as “golden days”, which he still values highly. Despite studying hard he visited different places, found new friends and even learned how to bake Austrian Christmas cookies. Interacting with different colleagues and scientists from around the world have influenced him to think creatively. Besides he started to build up useful networks. After returning to Nepal, Basanta resumed his work at the Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University. As a geologist he focused his research on the interaction between earthquake and landform with mega structures in the Nepal Himalaya.
His expertise was needed especially after the tragic Gorkha earthquake in 2015, when he worked with more than 20 research teams from around the globe. Another research focus is on climate change and natural disasters in the Himalayas. During his talk he gave different examples on how climate change impacts the region. He discussed effects of water related hazards such as floods or extreme rainfalls that endanger the livelihood of people. Furthermore he presented evidence from melting glaciers or the shift of the treeline. Basanta stressed the importance of action research and translating the research results to the social realities of rural communities.
The Alumni Talk was broadcast live on Facebook. Thanks to Basanta’s network the talk attracted a lot of attention. You can watch the entire video on Facebook here.
Research shows that climate is one of the crucial environmental issues today. Human activity isn't the only factor that affects global warming but this is certainly something we can influence. In order to tap the knowledge of the different participants we split up in groups and discussed what each and everybody of us could do in our daily life to reduce global warming. Scholars and researchers presented individual activities but also large scale measures by governments or organisations that aim to reduce global warming.
We concluded the event with lively discussions and socialising with colleagues. Besides we enjoyed some drinks and tasted Momos, a delicious speciality from Nepal.