Why the Polar Oceans?
The Polar oceans are a global responsibility. Keeping that in mind the United Nations has declared 2021-2030 to be the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Devised to draw attention and accelerate scientific developments that will ensure the safety and sustainability of the vast oceans, the UN’s initiative is a challenging milestone. In the context of the Polar oceans, this role’s enormity magnifies. The Polar oceans cover about one-fifth of the total surface area of earth and are among the coldest. In recent decades, however, they are experiencing the most rapid oceanic warming which has resulted in major physiological changes, exacerbating the vulnerability of the organisms inhabiting these waters. Safeguard of these extreme realms whilst exploring new avenues and opportunities across scientific, policy and commercial domains is an engagement that calls for collaborative efforts of a multitude of nations. Globally shared interests necessitate legal and policy reforms to ensure sustainable and equitable management of the Polar oceans. SaGHAA Webinar 2020 will serve as a teaser to initiate a constructive dialogue on these issues to set the ball rolling towards a sustainable future of our Polar oceans. Science and Geopolitics of Himalaya, Arctic and Antarctic (SaGHAA) is the only Indian think tank focusing exclusively on discourse related to the dynamic geopolitical and environmental developments in the polar regions of the world. We at SaGHAA, believe that engaging in an inclusive dialogue with nations, small and big, will push for greater Indian involvement in the Arctic in all its dimensions—climatic, geological or resource utilization. The Arctic discourse, therefore, holds immense relevance for India.
Participants
Bio Data Book
Schedule
Gallery
Curation of topics
SaGHAA’s organising committee has carefully curated only the most relevant and timely topics for deliberation and debate during the Webinar. Every topic has arrived at after rigorous research and approval of the committee. The panel for each discussion will feature world-renowned domain experts to ensure the highest quality of discourse is presented before the learned audience. A perfect balance of Polar ocean sustainability and scientific issues are presented to ensure equitable time and attention is given to each dimension. SaGHAA Webinar 2020 hopes to set a benchmark in the Polar Ocean debate in India. SaGHAA will also provide opportunities to budding scholars to present their research and earn certificates
Why SaGHAA?
SaGHAA works under the aegis of Learning in Geography, Humanities, Technology and Science (LIGHTS). SaGHAA has been working for greater Indian involvement in Polar Regions since 2011. Our core competencies lie in facilitating high-level dialogues between the Indian scientific and social science community with their international counterparts from the Polar Countries. SaGHAA has organized 5 uniquely successful editions of conferences by the same title, with the assistance and participation from Ministry of Earth Sciences, NCPOR, IITM, SASE, DRTL, Norwegian Embassy (to name a few) as well as many other members of the Indian scientific community and bureaucracy. SaGHAA’s president is a well-known authority on polar discourse. SaGHAA has been invited to various high-level international meetings like the Reykjavik annual Arctic Circle Assembly, 2019 and the high-level Antarctic Parliamentarians Assembly organised by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) headed by UK parliamentarian James Gray, at Westminster, London, 2019. The opinions and efforts of SaGHAA have been covered widely in the press, a testament to the efficacy and influence of the organisation. Lastly, the strength of SaGHAA lies in the ‘SaGHAA people’ — high-level experts. Every organisation in India working on anything that is even distantly ‘Polar’ participates in each event. Heads of scientific establishments and policy bodies assiduously attend, contributing emphatically and freely to the discourse. The first outcome of SaGHAA is, therefore, its stature that draws from its myriad stakeholders providing a body of recommendations that serves as an illuminated path for policymakers. Proceedings of two SaGHAA Conferences have been published by Springer
Affiliation with Geography and You
Over the years Geography and You has published 5 dedicated issues exclusively on the Polar Regions. Some of the titles are ‘India’s Polar Endeavour’s, published in collaboration with National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), ‘Glacier Meltdown’, that investigated the effects of climate change on the cryosphere and ‘Polar Perspectives’, which has several international authors of repute contributing towards it. Newspapers such as the Financial Express regularly carry columns related to polar policy authored by our president. SaGHAA is regularly invited to speak at and be a part of high-level government conferences on polar policies.
