Dr. A K M Anwaruzzaman : IAGR Conference 2024
Dr. A K M Anwaruzzaman is a Professor in the Department of Geography at Aliah University, Kolkata, where he has been serving since July 12, 2019. He holds a B.A. Hons in Geography from Aligarh Muslim University (1992), an M.A. in Geography from Jawaharlal Nehru University (1994), a postgraduate diploma equivalent to M.Tech/M.Phil in Urban and Regional Planning from CEPT, Ahmedabad (1996), and a Ph.D. from the University of North Bengal (2012).
With 26 years of academic experience, Dr. Anwaruzzaman has also served in various capacities, including as Principal of Malda College and Assistant Professor at Saheed Khudiram College. His research interests include demographic issues, the politicization of fertility, population and environment, climate change, food security, and climate-induced migration. He has published 39 research papers, authored one book, contributed 12 book chapters, and presented papers at 60 national and international conferences.
Dr. Anwaruzzaman is a member of several professional organizations, including the Indian National Cartographic Association and the National Association of Geographers, India. He has delivered 25 invited lectures, chaired 26 technical sessions, and organized 22 seminars and workshops. He has also supervised and awarded 2 Ph.D. theses, with 4 ongoing projects, and has evaluated 17 Ph.D./M.Phil theses.
Title of Talk:
Demographic Data Innovation: SDG Perspective on Migration and Human Mobility
Abstract
Advent of new technology, particularly ICT based technology has opened up immense opportunities to generate, screen, manipulate and analyse demographic data for researchers. In order to achieve Sustainable Development Goals by the target year 2030, we require comprehensive demographic data. As many as 10 out of 17 SDGs are population centric, of which the first six (No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality & Clean Water and Sanitation) and eighth (Decent Work and Economic Growth) are directly related to population. Intervention in the areas to achieve goals require high quality and reliable demographic data. Census operation traditionally has universal coverage and produces reliable data but it’s handicapped with lack of quality data, particularly for shorter time gaps due to its 10-year temporal resolution. Additionally, there are instances of census not being conducted timely for many reasons viz. natural hazard, war and conflict as well as epidemic and pandemic such as Corona etc. Under such a circumstance computer-based technology (ICT) may be of great help when particularly it’s migration and mobility data is required. In the era of evidence-based policymaking, data availability takes centre stage. ICT, these days, may work as innovative sources of data that offers an opportunity to describe demographic, particularly mobility and migratory phenomena more accurately equipped with availability of large volumes of real-time geo-spatially referenced data. Use of Big Data, particularly, in migration study is a very apt one. CRD and IP address-based information can give real time information of an individual migrant, helping to reduce temporal resolution of collection of data that enhance data quality as well as use of it substantially. At the same time, data innovation, however, posed new challenges with respect to ethics, privacy, data governance models, data quality for citizens, statistical offices, policymakers and even the private sector operators of ICT based services. The present study focuses on a few selected fields of demography, particularly, mobility, and migration, and aims at assessing the current state of data innovation. It further aims at identifying areas in which data innovation has high potentiality for policymaking exercises. Thus, Big Data on migration and mobility may help achieving SDG goals and fulfilling targets.
