Presenter

Ankush is a Ph.D. scholar at the Indian Knowledge Systems, Mind, and Human Awareness Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, working under the guidance of Varun Dutt with K. V. Uday serving as co-guide. His research focuses on landslide risk, human decision-making, and disaster resilience in the Western Himalayan region. He is currently developing an Interactive Landslide Simulator (ILS) to investigate how individuals make adaptation and mitigation decisions under dynamic risk conditions. His work combines cognitive science, human factors, and geotechnical perspectives with traditional Indian Knowledge Systems, particularly Vriksha Ayurveda, to support sustainable and nature-based approaches for landslide risk management. His research explores the relationship between environmental risk, human behavior, and policy design through simulation-based experiments and behavioral analysis. His ongoing work includes the development of advanced simulation models, analysis of human decision-making in hazard-prone environments, and preparation of research studies related to disaster-risk mitigation and resilience planning in Himalayan settings.