Hello! I am Nabanita Sarkar, a PhD student at University of Modena and Reggio Emilia coordinated by IUSS Pavia. Being a coastal geomorphologist, my research work is oriented to disaster risk reduction along coastal areas affected by climate change. Since graduation days I have been really passionate about Geomorphology and Climate Change. I had the chance to do some original research work during my master’s degree and that is what inspired me to take up the challenge of pursuing a PhD. An urge to understand the impacts and risks of climate change including extreme events, by combining multidisciplinary approaches has led me to choose a PhD position in Sustainable Development and Climate Change (SDC).
Presently, I am in Malta workingas a research intern in the Ministry of Public Works and Planning and collaborating with University of Malta. Last year, I had spent two months in order to learn about the geomorphological diversity of the Maltese coast through extensive field surveys. I am really enjoying the microcosm of the Mediterranean. The highly diversified coastal land forms and scenic landscapes,makes Malta a hotspot for internationally recognized tourist destination. Both climate - and marine- related processes increase the propensity of the island of Malta to be affected by various coastal risks in the form of erosion, flooding, rock falls and, on a longer-term, sea-level rise. Hence, collaborating with the ministry and university on these grounds is efficient in building an understanding for an improved governance of coastal risks and sustainable development of the territory. My supervisor and the research team in the ministry are very approachable. Their affable nature has helped me lot in my current investigations. I was very well integrated in the team. Presently, I am working with two male (Maltese) and one female colleague (Portuguese) in the ministry office. Getting organized and planning out things before starting the internship has helped me a lot during my period abroad. When I am back toItaly, I plan to work on the acquired data from Malta to produce some scientific outputs and prepare for the upcoming conferences. The experience was very enriching for my research project and on a personal level. Maltese peopleare among some of the warmest people I have ever met. One of the things I like is how simple and down to earth most of them are. Oh, lest I forget, their food is out of the world. I haven’t enjoyed any Pastizzi like I did in Malta.