Modeling Impacts on Food Security from Debris Flows in India

Implementing Partner: Build Change

Project name:Modeling impacts on food security from debris flows in India

This research employs machine learning and Google Earth Engine to create an online GIS-based tool that enhances intervention accuracy for food security.

It examines how debris flow disruptions in mountainous road networks cascade to impact food resilience, bridging a critical knowledge gap.

By mapping these vulnerabilities, the study informs strategies to reinforce supply chains and road infrastructure, ensuring adaptive solutions that strengthen food security in mountain regions facing climate and disaster-related disruptions.

Economic losses from
disasters in the Himalayas
(1985–2014)
$ 0 bn
Himalayan roadways at
risk from high-volume
landslides and avalanches
0 % (85,000 km)

Impact and Key Findings

1

This project establishes a framework to assess road network vulnerabilities and their cascading effects on food supply chains, delivering key insights to strengthen resilience in mountainous regions frequently impacted by debris flow hazards and transport disruptions. 

2

Centered on the Eastern Himalayas, this study integrates debris flow hazard modeling, transport disruption analysis, and food security assessment to develop a robust framework for strengthening road infrastructure and stabilizing supply chains in disaster-prone mountain regions. 

3

Using advanced machine learning algorithms, this research optimizes emergency supply prepositioning, enhancing disaster response efficiency and reinforcing community resilience. By mitigating road network disruptions in mountain areas, it ensures timely resource distribution and adaptive crisis management.  

Resources

Aishwarya Pillai

Lead Specialist

Alpana heads institutional partnerships, governance, and resource mobilization at CDRI, advancing cross-sector collaborations that drive resilient infrastructure programming across Member Countries and organizations. With over 25 years of experience spanning international development, global health, and the non-profit sector, she brings deep expertise in fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and delivering strategic change. 

At CDRI, Alpana has been pivotal in forging strategic alliances with governments, international organizations, and philanthropies. She also plays a key role in fortifying institutional systems and board governance mechanisms as the Coalition transitions into an international organization. 

Before joining CDRI, Alpana held senior leadership roles at The George Institute for Global Health, Plan India, WaterAid India, and SOS Children’s Villages, leading institutional fundraising and cultivating strategic partnerships for social impact. 

She holds a Master’s in Finance & Control from Aligarh Muslim University and completed Executive Education at Harvard Business School (CSR India). Her work is driven by a commitment to building enduring, values-based partnerships that accelerate sustainable development outcomes. 

Alpana Saha

Director, Partnerships, Governance, and Resource Mobilisation 

Alpana heads institutional partnerships, governance, and resource mobilization at CDRI, advancing cross-sector collaborations that drive resilient infrastructure programming across Member Countries and organizations. With over 25 years of experience spanning international development, global health, and the non-profit sector, she brings deep expertise in fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and delivering strategic change. 

At CDRI, Alpana has been pivotal in forging strategic alliances with governments, international organizations, and philanthropies. She also plays a key role in fortifying institutional systems and board governance mechanisms as the Coalition transitions into an international organization. 

Before joining CDRI, Alpana held senior leadership roles at The George Institute for Global Health, Plan India, WaterAid India, and SOS Children’s Villages, leading institutional fundraising and cultivating strategic partnerships for social impact. 

She holds a Master’s in Finance & Control from Aligarh Muslim University and completed Executive Education at Harvard Business School (CSR India). Her work is driven by a commitment to building enduring, values-based partnerships that accelerate sustainable development outcomes.