I participated in the Arbeitskreis Südasien Conference 2026 held in Göttingen, Germany, from 30th -31st January. The conference brought together a group of doctoral researchers working on different research topics in South Asia from universities across Germany. The conference provided a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas across different ongoing research on different social and environmental issues.
I presented my PhD project, which focuses on peri-urban growth in Kolkata and its impact on the natural landscapes, giving rise to wicked problems such as urban flooding and heat. As I am in the early stage of my PhD, the presentation introduced the research problem, key questions, and the proposed methods. The study combines spatial analysis with local stakeholder engagement to explore how Nature-based Solutions (NbS) can support flood and heat mitigation in a peri-urban context. The discussion following my presentation was very helpful. The participants and professors provided constructive feedback and suggestions to further strengthen the research. This conference was highly beneficial for shaping my PhD research and the discussion session helped me improve the clarity and decide a trajectory for my work.
Pritam Ghosh
PhD student
Institute of Geography
PhD project: “The Urbanizing Edge: Tackling Peri-Urban Growth, Flooding and Heat with Nature-Based Solutions in Kolkata, India.”