A Joint Symposium with Indabax Malawi & Center for Artificial Intelligence and STEM (CAIST) at the Malawi University of Science and Technology
Quick Info
Symposium Dates: August 24-25
Symposium Times: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM EST
Location: Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), Blantyre, Malawi
Participants Registration:
If you are interested in participating in the symposium in person or remotely please register here.
Deadline for in person participants registration: August 17 (closed)
Deadline for remote participants registration: August 22
Important notes:
There is no registration fee for attending or presenting in this symposium.
Symposium organizers are unable to support travel & accommodation for participants and presenters.
BACKGROUND
Climate Change is impacting all countries, however more vulnerable countries are impacted disproportionally by the climate change and its resulting more frequent and intense extreme weather events. Malawi is among the highest impacted countries by the climate change. These events such as cyclones, create significant social, health, economic, and environmental impacts in Malawi. Certain settlements are so frequently impacted by the extreme events and their economic and health consequences that governments and humanitarian agencies have been developing resettlement policies and programs to relocate and resettle some of the settlements to safer locations where possible. Resettlement or relocation is very challenging for people and governments from many different aspects. It is often considered as a last resort development policy that requires careful assessments and planning, social and political acceptance, and engagement, as well as financial supports. This symposium brings together academics, professionals, and policy makers to share ideas, research findings, technology tools, scientific methodologies, and perspectives on climate change induced extreme events, disaster risks, resettlement and public health issues in Malawi. Joined by the Indabax Malawi and the Center for Artificial Intelligence and STEM (CAIST) this symposium will focus on leveraging Data science, Artificial intelligence, machine learning and Deep learning in solving problems related to climate change, extreme events, public health and disaster risk reduction.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The main goals and objectives of this two day symposium are:
- Discussing and examining climate change/extreme disaster event public health issues and their resettlement/relocation challenges.
- Examining and understanding resettlement after recent tropical cyclones in Malawi.
- Sharing and exchanging knowledge around post disaster resettlement/relocation issues and potential role that science including citizen science and technology can solve these issues.
- Presenting the results of feasibility studies (simulation & modelling) of resettlement/relocation in Malawi
- Examining some of the potential relocation cases in Malawi.
- Co-creating decision making and awareness raising tools for resettlement/relocation planning and decision making.
- Examining the role that science and technology including Deep Learning, Data Science, Modeling, Serious Games, and Simulation can play in making informed decisions regarding climate change adaptation, extreme event predictions, public health impacts and modeling, disaster risk reduction, relocation and resettlement.
TARGET AUDIENCES/PARTICIPANTS
- Faculty members of different disciplines
- Researchers
- Students
- Policy makers
- Professionals (climate change, public health, disaster & emergency management, resettlement)
- Representatives of NGOs
DAY 1 THURSDAY AUGUST 24 9:00AM-4:30PM (GMT+1) : Climate Change, Extreme Events, Public Health & Resettlement/Relocation in Southern Malawi Symposium: Understanding the Problems
Registration: 08:30-09:00
09:00-09:10 Welcome Notes
Speakers: Professor M. Kamndaya, Executive Dean of Faculty of Applied Science, MUBAS,
Session 1
19:10AM-10:30 AM: Climate Change, Extreme Events and Public Health
Chair: Ali Asgary, York University
Speaker 1: Faides Mwale, T. Chakwantha and S. Manda
Title: Disaster Risk Management in Malawi and the Disaster Management Framework: Insights from Cyclone Freddy
Speaker 2: Tabata Fioretto, IOM
Title: Multisectorial assessment, safe and dignified relocation process: Pilot Relocation Plan Chiradzulu
Speaker 3: Amelia Taylor, MUBAS
Title: Machine Learning for Climate Science and Earth Observation
10:30-11:00 Coffee Break & Networking
Session 2
11:00 AM-12:30 PM: Policy & Research Presentations: Examining Climate Change, Extreme Events and Resettlement Challenges
Chair: Dickson Chinguwo
Speakers 1: Sosten Chiota, James Orbinski, Ali Asgary, Mohammadali Tofighi, & Jochen Schubert and Richard Mathews.
Title: Modelling Climate Change & Public Health in Lake Chilwa Basin
Speaker 2: Dennis Amadi, Health Emergencies Officer, World Health Organization
Title: Unveiling the Shifting Landscape of Disease Trends: A DHIS2 Analysis Spanning 2020 to March 2023 immediate after cyclone Freddy
12:30-01:30 Lunch & Networking
Session 3
1:30 – 2:30: Public Engagement & Awareness
Chair: James Orbinski
Speakers 1: Ali Asgary & Tabata Fioretto
Title: Road to Resettlement Game
Speaker 2: Goodall Salima, Inq Inc.
Title: Leveraging AI and Machine Learning to provide an affordable Next Generation Firewall with inq Secure
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM Coffee Break & Networking
Session 4
3:00PM-4:00PM Climate Change: Weather Prediction and Access to Healthcare
Chair: Faides Mwale
Speaker 1: Robert Galatiya Suya, Lecturer, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS)
Title: Unravelling Weather Prediction through Deep Learning and GNSS Approaches in Malawi (Remote)
Speaker 2: Mulekya Francis, Regional Migration Health Programme Coordinator, IOM
Title: Promoting cross-border migrants’ access to healthcare within the climate change-migration context: experiences of migrants and stakeholders in seven neighbouring countries in Southern Africa (Remote)
Speaker 3: Walgak Chuol, Environment and Climate Change Specialist, INTERCEDE
Title: Impact of climate change in less developing nations (Remote)
DAY 2 FRIDAY AUGUST 25 9:00AM-4:00PM (EST)- Climate Change, Extreme Events, Public Health & Resettlement/Relocation in Southern Malawi Symposium: Problem Solutions
09:00-09:10 Welcome Notes
Session 1
9:10 AM-10:30 AM: Examining Potential Technology Solutions and Methodologies for Climate Change, Extreme Events, Public Health and Resettlement
Chair: Amelia Taylor
Speaker 1: Charles Chimwemwe Phiri, Executive Director – SME AI/ML Innovation, JP Morgan Chase & Co.
Title: Harnessing Technology to Address the Emerging Challenges
Speaker 2: Dickson Chinguwo
Title: Using Masdap platform to obtain datasets
Speaker 3: Carl Bruesow, Chairman of the Mulanje Conservation Trust, Malawi
Title: TBA
Speaker 4: Patrick Kalonde, PhD Student, Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust
Title: Flood Mapping in Malawi: Unleashing the Power of Every Tool in Our Arsenal!
10:30 AM -11:00 AM Coffee Break & Networking
Session 2
11:00 AM-1:00 PM: Scientific & Technological Solutions (Deep Learning, Data Science, Simulation and Modeling) Presentations & Workshops
Chair: Richard Mathews, University of California Irvine
Speaker 1: Ndapile Mkuwu, African Drone & Data Academy
Title: Elevating Risk & Disaster Management through Drones
Speaker 2: Ali Asgary
Title: Virtual Reality Simulation of Chiradzulu Landslide with Live Demo
Speaker 3: Clinton, Nkolokosa, Geospatial Analyst, MSc Research Fellow, Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme
Title: AI-assisted segmentation of flood water from a drone imagery: A case of Kachulu, Lake Chilwa Basin of Malawi
Speaker 4: Mathews Jere, Student University of Malawi
Title: Improving Mobile-Based Early Skin Disease Diagnosis for Melanin-Rich Skins
Speaker 5: Hugues Burrows, UNICEF
Title: Observations and reflections on the IPC/WASH situation in CTC/CTUs in the Lilongwe and Blantyre districts
12:30PM-1:30PM Lunch Break and Networking
Organizers
Dr. Amelia Tylor, Lecturer at the University of Malawi, The Polytechnic
Dr. Harold Wilson Tumwitike Mapoma, Associate Professor and Deputy Dean of Faculty for Applied Sciences at MUBAS
Dr. Faidess Dumbizgani Mwale, Department of Civil Engineering, MUBAS
Dr. Mpatso Kamndaya, Associate Professor & Dean of Faculty of Applied Sciences
Dr. Michael Zimba, Associate Professor of Artificial Intelligence & Data Science, African Union Contributing Expert on Artificial Intelligence, Director of the Malawi Institute of Technology,
Dr. Bennet Kankuzi, Head, Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Malawi
Dr. Ali Asgary, Associate Professor of Disaster & Emergency Management & Director of CIFAL York
Dr. Sosten Chiotha, Regional Director of the Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) Southern and Eastern Africa
Dr. Jude Kong, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, York University & Executive Director, Global South AI for Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Response Network (AI4PEP)
Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsors & Additional Information
If interested sponsoring this event or have questions about the symposium program please contact Dr. Ali Asgary: asgary@yorku.ca or Dr. Amelia Tylor: ataylor@mubas.ac.mw