Recent earthquakes highlight the need for a risk reduction strategy, especially for urban centres. With expanding cities, risk to human lives, buildings and infrastructure also increases. Urban safety has thus gained importance in recent years.

India has made some major advances in seismological research in the past few decades. However, gaps continue to remain, and populations remain vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis. Initiatives like microzonation, and scientific drilling may yet provide a solution to these problems.

Shailesh Nayak led from the front for a major part of the ten years that the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) completed on July 27, 2016. As secretary to the Government of India from 2008 to 2015, the distinguished scientist formulated innovative projects that made science part of a common man’s life. In his illustrious career he integrated new initiatives such as the monsoon mission, seismological and cryospheric research, to name a few. Talking with Sulagna Chattopadhyay, the gifted gentleman outlined his vision for the dazzling future of the MoES.

The authors are scientist C, scientist F, scientist B and director, respectively, at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad and secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences. srinivas@incois.gov.in

Monitoring from space, aerial and in situ platforms in coastal regions will help develop models for interactions between ecological and anthropogenic processes, helping sustainable management of coastal zones.

Dr Shailesh Nayak, Secretary Ministry of Earth Sciences and Chairman, Earth Commission.

Dr. Shailesh Nayak’s calm aura, ease and lucidity spoke of an authority that complemented his tall frame. Self effacing about being the pioneering scientist in shaping the recent Tsunami Warning System, Dr Nayak was happy to have placed the best possible technology worldwide, which would send real time warnings and protect the coastal populace of our subcontinent. Strengthening the technological base he asserted was his foremost concern, as it would assist a better understanding of earth processes as well as create a service base for data dissemination to user groups in the sectors of agriculture, disaster management, sports and more. Worried about the empirical nature of monsoon models, he believes that monsoon predictions would improve dramatically with enhanced observation systems. In about three years, he emphatically adds, the systems would be in place and by 2012 accurate predictions would make it easier to manage extreme events of rainfall.

The dialogue explores critical issues of sustainability through the lens of Earth system science, hazards in the Himalayas, coastal vulnerabilities, and the broader interaction between science and society. It highlights the urgent need for improved knowledge of the Himalayan ecosystem as an interconnected system involving geology, hydrology, cryosphere, atmosphere, and biology. Concerns about inadequate preparedness for earthquakes, landslides, and floods are examined alongside the socio-economic pressures that drive hazardous construction in vulnerable zones. The article also interrogates the idea of sustainability at global, social, and individual levels, emphasizing responsible consumption, governance, and public awareness. Further, it addresses challenges along India’s coastline, including erosion and sea level rise, and discusses the effectiveness of existing early warning systems. Finally, it presents an optimistic perspective on human adaptability to environmental change, grounded in historical resilience and technological advancement.