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Remote Sensing for Natural Hazard Studies

By Prof. Rishikesh Bharti   |   IIT Guwahati
Learners enrolled: 1145   |  Exam registration: 227
ABOUT THE COURSE:

This course introduces the state-of-the-art concepts and methodologies of geospatial techniques as applied to natural hazard studies. Commencing with the fundamentals of remote sensing and GIS, the curriculum will then cover their specific applications within this area. The objective is to impart a thorough understanding of the role of remote sensing and GIS in natural hazard analysis. This is a 12-week course with ten modules. Each module will have an assignment for a better understanding of the concepts. As this course does not have any prerequisites, students of any level can take it. This course can be taken by any B.Tech., M.S., M.S.R., M.Sc., M.Tech., and Ph.D. students & working professionals. Successful completion will enable participants to effectively employ these technologies in their own hazard-related investigations.

INTENDED AUDIENCE:B.Tech, M.S., M.S.R., M.Sc., M.Tech., Ph.D. and Professionals

INDUSTRY SUPPORT: Esri, Rolta India, RMSI Private Limited, ArcGeosystems,
Summary
Course Status : Ongoing
Course Type : Core
Language for course content : English
Duration : 12 weeks
Category :
  • Civil Engineering
  • Energy, Climate and Sustainability
  • Earth Sciences
Credit Points : 3
Level : Undergraduate/Postgraduate
Start Date : 21 Jul 2025
End Date : 10 Oct 2025
Enrollment Ends : 04 Aug 2025
Exam Registration Ends : 22 Aug 2025
Exam Date : 25 Oct 2025 IST
NCrF Level   : 4.5 — 8.0

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.


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Course layout

Week 1: Basics of Remote Sensing:
Lec 1: Introduction to Remote Sensing
Lec 2: Basics of Remote Sensing
Lec 3: Errors in Remote Sensing

Week 2: Concept of Remote Sensing:
Lec 4: Optical Remote Sensing
Lec 5: Microwave Remote Sensing-1
Lec 6: Microwave Remote Sensing-2

Week 3: Data Processing:
Lec 7: Hyperspectral Data Acquisition and Processing
Lec 8: Remote Sensing Data Analysis-1
Lec 9: Remote Sensing Data Analysis-2

Week 4: Potential of Remote Sensing in Hazard Studies:
Lec 10: Data Type and Remote Sensing Products
Lec 11: Introduction to Geographical Information System for Data Analysis
Lec 12: Potential of Remote Sensing and GIS in Hazard Studies: Overview

Week 5: Flood Studies:
Lec 13: Introduction to Floods-1
Lec 14: Introduction to Floods-2
Lec 15: Remote Sensing for River Planform Studies

Week 6: Flood Studies:
Lec 16: Remote Sensing Techniques for Flood Studies-1
Lec 17: Remote Sensing Techniques for Flood Studies-2
Lec 18: Remote Sensing for River Health

Week 7: Cryosphere Hazards:
Lec 19: The Cryosphere
Lec 20: Introduction to Cryosphere Hazards
Lec 21: Dynamics of Snow and Glacier

Week 8: Cryosphere Hazards:
Lec 22: Geophysical Parameters of Snow-1
Lec 23: Geophysical Parameters of Snow-2
Lec 24: Seismic Impacts on Himalayan Glaciers

Week 9: Avalanche and Glacial Lake Hazards:
Lec 25: Introduction to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods
Lec 26: Glacial Lake Vulnerability Assessment
Lec 27: Avalanche Studies

Week 10: Landslides:
Lec 28: Introduction to Landslides
Lec 29: Remote Sensing for Landslide Studies-1
Lec 30: Remote Sensing for Landslide Studies-2

Week 11: Liquefaction:
Lec 31: Introduction to Liquefaction
Lec 32: Remote Sensing for Liquefaction Studies-1
Lec 33: Remote Sensing for Liquefaction Studies-2

Week 12: Drought:
Lec 34: Introduction to Draught
Lec 35: Remote Sensing for Drought Assessment
Lec 36: Present and Future Scopes

Books and references

1) Lillesand, T.M. and Kiefer, R.W., 1987. Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation, John Wiley.
2) Jensen, J. R. Introductory digital image processing: A remote sensing perspective, Prentice Hall series in geographic information science.
3) Schowengerdt, R. A., 2007. Remote Sensing: Models and Methods for Image Processing, Academic Press.
4) Campbell, J.B., 1996. Introduction to Remote Sensing, Taylor & Francis, London.
5) Cracknell, P. and Hayes, L. Introduction to remote sensing,
6) Jensen, J.R., 2003. Remote Sensing of the Environment an Earth Resource Perspective, Pearson Education, Delhi.
7) Joseph, G., 2003. Fundamentals of Remote Sensing, University press.
8) Gupta, R. P., 2005. Remote Sensing Geology, Springer.
9) Van-dr-Meer, F., De Jong, S., 2006. Imaging spectrometry: Basic principles and prospective applications (The Netherlands: Springer Publishers), 451p.
10) Rencz, A.N., 2008. Remote Sensing for the Earth Sciences, Manual of Remote Sensing, 3, ASPRS, 703p.
11) De-Jong, Steven, M., Van der Meer, F.D., 2004. Remote Sensing Image Analysis: Including the Spatial Domain: Including the Spatial Domain, 5, Springer, 359p.
12) Claudia, K., Stefan, D., 2014. Quantitative Remote Sensing in Thermal Infrared, 11, Springer, 281p.
13) Abbott, P.L., 2013. Natural Disasters, 9th Edition, McGraw Hill Education, 512p.
14) Porter, M., Jakob, M., Savigny, K.W., 2015. Geohazard Risk Management for Linear Facilities, 310p, Springer
15) Nicholas, C., 1994. Geohazards: Natural and Human, Prentice Hall.

Instructor bio

Prof. Rishikesh Bharti

IIT Guwahati
Prof. Rishikesh Bharti, a faculty member in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Guwahati, brings expertise in areas such as Advanced Remote Sensing, Geohazard Science and Engineering, Advanced Techniques in Geoscience, and Engineering Geology, which he teaches to B.Tech, M.Tech, and PhD students. His research focuses on the application of geospatial technology in natural hazard studies, Geospatial modelling, and advanced remote sensing techniques for both Earth and planetary studies. He anticipates that participants will find the proposed course engaging and educational. Additional information about his research is available at https://fac.iitg.ac.in/rbharti/.

Course certificate

The course is free to enroll and learn from. But if you want a certificate, you have to register and write the proctored exam conducted by us in person at any of the designated exam centres.
The exam is optional for a fee of Rs 1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).
Date and Time of Exams: October 25, 2025 Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm.
Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.
The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published. If there are any changes, it will be mentioned then.
Please check the form for more details on the cities where the exams will be held, the conditions you agree to when you fill the form etc.

CRITERIA TO GET A CERTIFICATE

Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 8 assignments out of the total 12 assignments given in the course.
Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score

Please note that assignments encompass all types (including quizzes, programming tasks, and essay submissions) available in the specific week.

YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75. If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100.

Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup.It will have the logos of NPTEL and IIT Guwahati .It will be e-verifiable at nptel.ac.in/noc.

Only the e-certificate will be made available. Hard copies will not be dispatched.

Once again, thanks for your interest in our online courses and certification. Happy learning.

- NPTEL team
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