榴莲视频

UMassD professor Avijit Gangopadhyay explains how advanced communication systems, computer technology, & ocean technology played a major role in saving millions of lives during the recent cyclone in India.

When it comes to cyclones, there鈥檚 a strong link between advanced communication systems, computer technology, and ocean technology. Together they have the ability to save lives. Dr. Avijit Gangopadhyay, professor of estuarine and ocean sciences at 榴莲视频鈥檚 School for Marine Science & Technology (SMAST), weighs in on the impact of these three distinct types of modern technology.

On May 3, 2019, Cyclone Fani struck Odisha, a state in India with a population of nearly 46 million individuals. 鈥淭he 157-mile-per-hour cyclone was classified as a category 4 or 5, mirroring the force of Puerto Rico鈥檚 Hurricane Maria,鈥� said Gangopadhyay.

Partnering with ocean science institutions

Professor Gopal C. Mitra, a professor of Industrial Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IITKGP) came up with the idea of placing shelters in various remote locations, where people who didn鈥檛 have access to the trains that serve to transport the evacuees outside of the danger zone. 

鈥溋窳�视频 2 million people live in the region where Fani occurred, 11 districts along the state of Odisha were placed on red alert, and 900 shelters were set up to house evacuees. These shelters were real blessings for people to go and seek safety in safe havens,鈥� said Gangopadhyay.

Through a partnership between IITKGP and 榴莲视频, SMAST ocean scientists assisted IIT to build a center for ocean sciences. The ability of forecasting with weather modeling along with mitigation through this initiative played an integral part in saving lives during Cyclone Fani. 

鈥淯nfortunately, 14 people lost their lives in Fani,鈥� said Gangopadhyay. 鈥淏ut there is hope as we see progress due to science and research. Compare this to the year 1999 when the Odisha Super Cyclone occurred and more than 10,000 individuals lost their lives. Twenty years later, Cyclone Fani, which occurred in the same location as the Odisha Super Cyclone, affected many fewer lives due to the availability of advanced ocean technology.

"Science and communication together can really save lives. You can鈥檛 mitigate something if you don鈥檛 know when and where it鈥檚 coming.鈥�

Fusing communication with technology to save lives

Forecasts for Fani were issued five days ahead of the cyclone. Climate science faculty at IIT Bhubaneswar鈥檚 School of Earth, Ocean, & Climate Sciences, another SMAST partner, predicted the landfall location of Fani. 鈥淚ssuing the forecast even five days in advance resulted in fishermen being aware of their need to leave the ocean for safety.鈥�

While computers were available during Odisha Super Cyclone, technology was not as sophisticated as it is today. 鈥淒uring Cyclone Fani, about 1 million lives were saved because of the efforts of IITKGP, the government, NOAA, IIT Bhubaneswar, weather forecasting Centers in India including the Indian Met Department and all of the observation capabilities of satellites and in use of the internet to communicate,鈥� Gangopadhyay explained.

The impact of the ability to use ocean and weather modeling and communication efforts to save lives is also significant in comparison to Cyclone Bhola in the 1970s. 鈥溋窳�视频 half of a million people lost their lives nearly 50 years ago when we did not have satellites or computer technology with modeling capabilities to forecast cyclones,鈥� Gangopadhyay said.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the power of science 鈥� satellites, modeling, and observations are helping to save lives in a way that couldn鈥檛 be done in the 1970s and the 1990s. Science and communication together can really save lives. You can鈥檛 mitigate something if you don鈥檛 know when and where it鈥檚 coming.鈥�