Vision
To make a significant contribution to environmental, climate and earth sciences research and application in India through local capacity building as well as increased regional and international cooperation.
Main research foci of NERCI are:
• Climate change issues, Indian monsoon variability, sea level variation studies.
• Numerical Ocean Modeling & Operational Oceanography.
• Coastal Zone Management.
• Satellite Remote Sensing and GIS Applications.
• Appropriate Technology for Sustainable Environment Development.
NERCI has expertise in development and implementation of algorithms for satellite remote sensing data analysis, numerical ocean and coastal models for ocean circulation and eco system studies as well as data assimilation techniques.
Organization
The Nansen Environmental Research Center India (NERCI) was established in 1999 as a joint venture between Indian and Norwegian partners. NERCI conducts basic and applied research projects in ocean sciences funded by national and international agencies, organizations and industry. It is a non profit environmental and climate research center within the Nansen Group of research centers, which includes;
• Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NERSC), Bergen, Norway.
• Nansen International Environmental and Remote Sensing Centre, St. Petersburg, Russia.
• Nansen‐Zhu International Research Centre, Beijing, China.
• Nansen Scientific Society, Bergen, Norway.
• Terra Orbit AS – a research company, Bergen, Norway.
NERCI capitalize on the joint expertise of the Nansen Group.
Personnel
Nansen Centre (India) is currently functioned by four scientists with two consultant scientists and two administrative and technical staff members. Two Indian doctoral students conduct research at University of Bergen and NERSC, Norway and Cochin University of Science and Technology, are also affiliated with
NERCI.
The NERCI scientific research advisory board was consulted for taking guidance for R&D activities and promotion of education and social interaction with institutes in India and abroad.
Doctoral Program
Two Doctoral fellowship studies are currently being implemented at NERCI on:
• Validation of the HYCOM model for the Indian Ocean region and mesoscale ocean studies of the area.
• Synergistic application of Scatterometer and OCM data for the studies of coastal upwelling, southwest coast of India.
These studies are performed respectively at the Mohn‐Sverdrup Centre at NERSC and University of Bergen, funded by Trond Mohn c/o Frank Mohn AS, Norway and at Cochin University of Science and Technology with NERCI funded by SAC‐ISRO.
Six additional Indian doctoral fellowships are at various stages of implementation in cooperation with Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, India, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) and Anna University, Chennai in 2009. The Nansen Scientific Society gratuitously funds exchange visits to NERSC for these Indian students.
Ongoing & Future Projects
NERCI expects a substantial expansion in its research activities in 2009 due to increased cooperation, manpower and projects accepted during this period.
NERCI has ongoing external funded projects from Asia Pacific Forum for Environment Development
(APFED) Program of UNEP started in the year 2007. NERCI has already implemented a project from Space.
Application Centre ‐Indian Space Research Organization (SAC‐ISRO) under the Oceansat II Utilization
program and also two different projects under the AO for international partners by SAC‐ISRO. It is
expected to have moderate increase in its project outlay in the coming years through funding from
bilateral Indo‐Norwegian research cooperation, European Commission, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dept. of
Science and Technology, Govt. of India and ISRO‐SAC.
National & International Cooperation
A MoU between Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and Nansen Environmental Remote Sensing Center, University of Bergen, Norway and NERCI was signed on 18 January 2008. The MoU focuses on development of bilateral cooperation in operational oceanography and ocean modeling. In 2008 Dr. Sudheer Joseph, scientist from INCOIS has undergone two months training in HYCOM
Indian Ocean Model at NERSC, Bergen funded by Nansen Scientific Society and is being implemented at INCOIS. The cooperation will start with two joint Indian Ph.D. students in ocean modeling and data assimilation in the year 2009.
Under the MoU from 2007 with Anna University, Chennai, India and Nansen Group of Research Institutions in Norway, India, China and Russia, Ms. Manohari V., master student from Institute of Remote Sensing, Anna University was trained at Mohn‐Sverdrup Centre, NERSC, Bergen in 2008 on HYCOM modeling applications for the Indian Ocean.
Dr. M.S. Madhusoodanan from NERCI has received POGO‐SCOR International Visiting Fellowship and Nansen Scientific Society Fellowship for the year 2008 to undertake training in Ocean modeling at Mohn-Sverdrup Centre, Bergen.
Outreach activities
Two awareness campaigns, one on Protection of inland water bodies and the other on solid waste management was respectively organized at Kottayam District, and Cochin under the UNEP‐APFED program. These campaigns approached the local communities with the participation of NGOs, Self Help Groups and women groups.
Prospects
NERCI enters 2009 with extensive plans for increasing their national and international collaborations. Two Ph.D candidates from Anna University are schedule to visit NERSC, Bergen to work on HYCOM modeling and Ocean colour research, out of six new Indian Ph.D. fellowships earmarked for start in 2009. The prospects for the Indo‐Norwegian cooperation within climate and ocean research and higher education are promising. An Indo‐Russian joint workshop on regional climate change under the DST‐RFBR is also planned in 2009.
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