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.