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<keyword id="988973" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="extreme-weather">Extreme Weather</keyword> wreaks havoc and <keyword id="1209735" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Disaster-preparedness">disaster preparedness</keyword> of the extreme kind can only lessen the losses but cannot entirely leash them. A new research report compiled by the UK-based <keyword id="459969" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Overseas-Development-Institute">Overseas Development Institute</keyword> suggests that by 2030, up to a third of a billion people could be living in the 49 countries most exposed to the full range of <keyword id="1187439" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="natural-hazards">natural hazards</keyword> and <keyword id="1713913" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Climate-Extremes">climate extremes</keyword>. So adequate measures must be taken now to control the impact of Extreme Weather occurrences (<keyword id="43950" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="storm">storm</keyword>, <keyword id="46472" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="drought">drought</keyword>, <keyword id="6369083" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Flood">flood</keyword>, <keyword id="6362774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="earthquake">earthquake</keyword>, etc.) or it is bound to hurt the economies and will push people back into poverty. Although an emerging market nation, <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> has long struggled to cope with <keyword id="55531" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Disaster-management">disaster management</keyword>. As the country encounters the second <keyword id="6386783" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cyclone">cyclone</keyword> attack in six weeks, here is a quick look at the natural hazards that struck India throughout the year, leading to massive destruction and huge losses. 
Main image: Wikipedia 
 
<keyword id="1945034" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cyclone-Helen">Cyclone Helen</keyword> The severe cyclonic storm hit the coastal parts of <keyword id="37102" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Andhra-Pradesh">Andhra Pradesh</keyword> only a couple of days ago, killing at least 6 people. Around 21,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas as <keyword id="45172" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="heavy-rain">heavy rain</keyword> lashed the <keyword id="482064" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="coastal-districts">coastal districts</keyword> and strong gales reached the speed of 100-120 kmph. Storm and <keyword id="13195" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rain">rain</keyword> caused massive damage to <keyword id="18620" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="crops">crops</keyword> and coconut plantations spread over 1.69 lakh hectares. 
Image: ddinews.gov.in 
 
 
 
Super-Cyclone Phailin One of the most powerful tropical <keyword id="42569" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="cyclones">cyclones</keyword>, Phailin hit India’s east coast in October and was expected to cause massive death and destruction. Strong winds went up to a speed of 220 kmph as it struck the shores of <keyword id="6357961" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Odisha">Odisha</keyword> and Andhra Pradesh. However, early warnings and the mass evacuation of nearly 900,000 people limited the <keyword id="6397442" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="death-toll">death toll</keyword> to 30-50. A quarter million houses were razed though, and over 860,000 hectares of cropland was destroyed. The overall damage amounted to about $150 million. 
Image: Indiatimes 
 
 
 
The <keyword id="1713585" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Himalayan-tsunami">Himalayan tsunami</keyword> <keyword id="173656" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kedarnath">Kedarnath</keyword> town in the state of <keyword id="44522" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Uttarakhand">Uttarakhand</keyword> was literally washed out when massive flash floods and landslides hit the valley in June this year. About 33 cm of rain fell during a cloudburst and a lake above the 8th century <keyword id="1674376" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kedarnath-temple">Kedarnath Temple</keyword> burst, sending a deluge of water down the valley. Over 110,000 stranded pilgrims were rescued and the actual death toll could be close to 10,000 while 20,000 hectares of <keyword id="6491949" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="agricultural-land">agricultural land</keyword> was severely damaged in the deluge. According to a <keyword id="29740" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Bloomberg">Bloomberg</keyword> report based on a document from AON Benfield, economic losses due to the floods in India (mostly Uttarakhand) could be $1.1 billion and insured costs around half a million. 
Image: Indiatimes 
 
 
 
<keyword id="1672039" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cyclone-Mahasen">Cyclone Mahasen</keyword> The first among the three cyclones to have crossed the <keyword id="960263" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-coast">Indian coast</keyword> this year. The south-westerly monsoon started with this <keyword id="385066" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="tropical-storm">tropical storm</keyword> in May and affected six countries in South and <keyword id="366595" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="South-East-Asia">South-east Asia</keyword>. Cyclone Mahasen moved up from the southern <keyword id="55869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Bay-of-Bengal">Bay of Bengal</keyword> and finally hit Bangladesh, but its effects could be felt in southern, eastern and north-eastern parts of India. Heavy rain lashed Meghalaya as it crossed into neighbouring Bangladesh while severe storms in Andhra Pradesh caused eight deaths and also flooded 739 hectares of farmland. In the coastal districts of Odisha, there were scattered but powerful storms, producing winds up to 72 kmph. Malkangiri saw the heaviest rainfall at 48 mm. 
Image: earthobservatory.nasa.gov

How Extreme Weather Is Battering India This Year

Strong <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=earthquake&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">earthquake </a>of 5.8 magnitude rattled Uttarakhand and tremors were also felt in Delhi-NCR. 
 
The tremors were felt across northern India just past 10:33 pm. 
 
As per the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=imd&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">India Meteorological Department</a> (IMD), epicentre was in the mountain state's Rudraprayag District. 
 
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and United States Geological Service (USGS) have located the epicentre close to Pipalkoti. 
 
The resultant tremors were felt across northern India, and were reported to have lasted over 30 seconds in some places. 
 
Tremors were reported from Delhi-NCR, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Agra and a number of other places.

5.8 magnitude earthquake hits north India, rattles Delhi-NCR

The Union home ministry's disaster management experts have issued a warning of bigger earthquakes, with a magnitude of 8.2 or more, hitting the already ruptured Himalayan region. 
 
The Northeastern Indian state of Manipur was struck by a high magnitude quake on Monday, and more of these are likely to rock the region. 
 
The tectonic shift in this region has already caused a series of high-magnitude earthquakes, with Manipur (6.7, Jan 2016), Nepal (7.3, May 2015) and Sikkim 6.9 (2011), in the past few years. This has also led to conditions that might cause multiple huge earthquakes in the coming future. 
 
In a conversation with TOI, NIDM director Santosh Kumar said that the interconnected plates across Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and India pose a bigger danger to the region. He also predicted a disaster of bigger magnitude that awaits hill states and parts of Bihar, UP and even Delhi. All these states fall under the second worst seismic Zone IV classification, while the North-East and other hill states fall under severe seismic Zone V. 
 
Kumar also said the Centre has taken measures to sensitise the governments so that all hill states adopt a common building code, which is different from the rest of India. 
 
Factually speaking, India is divided into four seismic zones. While the most active Zone V comprises of the whole of north-east along with parts of north Bihar, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, J&amp;K, Gujarat and Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands, Delhi comes under Zone IV and is considered to be prone to high-magnitude quakes. 
 
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/Hwy302_after_the_Nisqually_earthquake.jpg">Image source</a>

Image for representational purpose only

MHA experts warn the government of big earthquakes in the Himalayan region

<ul><li><keyword id="482957" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="home-insurance" source="Orion">Home Insurance</keyword> protects one’s home from any unforeseen circumstances such as fire, theft, and natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, and storms. </li><li>For individual homeowners, it is recommended to choose comprehensive coverage. </li><li>Homeowners can boost their standard home insurance policies with add-on options.</li></ul>Scary as it may sound, with climate change now a reality, all our cities are likely to experience devastating floods. We have seen it in Mumbai, in Chennai, in Bangalore, and very recently in Himachal and Uttarakhand. Let us take the case of Mumbai. Studies suggest that high rainfall, rising sea levels and sinking land expose more people to the risk of floods. Moreover, there are other natural calamities that may occur too and add to that the risk of theft and burglary. This makes home insurance very essential for anyone who owns a property, or even those who stay in rented accommodation where one can insure the contents of the house against various risks. “Home insurance is a type of property insurance that protects one’s home from any unforeseen circumstances such as fire, theft, and natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, and storms. It also covers the damage caused due to water-logging due to floods,” says Vivek Chaturvedi, CMO and head of direct sales, Digit Insurance. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Home insurance in India is abysmally low" comment="subhead" text="Home insurance in India is abysmally low">Home insurance in India is abysmally low</cmsannotation> Home insurance penetration in India is very very low. Data from The Asia Insurance Review revealed that home insurance in India stood at only 1% five years back. In contrast, countries like the US, UK, France and Australia have home insurance rates ranging from 90% to 97%. There are a couple of reasons for it. “One is the perception that nothing will happen to me and I do not need home insurance. The second is related to the lack of knowledge of new products, that one can insure both the building and the content,” says Gurdeep Singh Batra, national head, retail non-motor underwriting and coinsurance, Bajaj Allianz <keyword id="6366282" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="general-insurance" source="Orion">General Insurance</keyword>. Also, home insurance in India is not mandatory. While it is also not legally mandatory in the United States, the United Kingdom, or Canada, many mortgage lenders in these countries often require borrowers to have home insurance as a condition of the mortgage loan. This requirement is to protect the lender's financial interest in the property. While it's not a legal obligation for homeowners, it is a practical necessity to secure coverage to safeguard their homes, personal belongings, and liability in unforeseen circumstances while satisfying lender requirements. We look at why home insurance is important and what it covers. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What is covered under home insurance" comment="Subhead" text="What is covered under home insurance">What is covered under home insurance</cmsannotation> Under home insurance, there are three kinds of cover available. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Building-Only Cover" comment="subhead" text="Building-Only Cover">Building-Only Cover</cmsannotation>: This type protects the physical structure of the building, including the net usable area (carpet area). It excludes external walls, service shafts, balconies, verandahs, and open terrace areas but includes internal partition walls within the residential unit. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Content-Only Cover" comment="subhead" text="Content-Only Cover">Content-Only Cover</cmsannotation>: This option covers personal belongings inside the house that aren't permanently attached to the structure, such as furniture, electronics, and kitchen equipment. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Comprehensive Cover" comment="Subhead" text="Comprehensive Cover">Comprehensive Cover</cmsannotation>: This provides complete protection for both the building and its contents. It often includes additional options like coverage for equipment breakdown and burglary. Individuals can choose the option that suits their specific needs and circumstances. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Insure your home according to your needs" comment="Subhead" text="Insure your home according to your needs">Insure your home according to your needs</cmsannotation> For individual homeowners, it is recommended to choose comprehensive coverage because it provides protection for both the building and the contents of the house. If you own a flat within an apartment complex, it is typically the responsibility of the housing society to insure the structure itself. In this case, the flat owner would only need to insure the personal contents within their home. “In case the building isn’t insured, then one can buy a cover individually as well to protect the structures of their flat,” says Chaturvedi. If you're a tenant residing in an apartment or a standalone house, you might want to focus solely on obtaining 'content-only' insurance coverage.This type of insurance safeguards all your possessions within the dwelling. “It could be a wise idea for landlords who have let-out properties to consider landlords' insurance, which covers damage to the building as well as loss of rent,” says Mathur. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Subhead" text="Add-ons to boost your home insurance">Add-ons to boost your home insurance</cmsannotation> “Protecting your home with a comprehensive home insurance policy coupled with tailored add-ons is the most sensible and prudent thing to do,” says Tarun Mathur, CBO - General Insurance, Policybazaar.com. "Theft and Burglary Cover" protects against losses not typically covered by standard policies, such as theft of valuable items like gold and electronics. "Gold and Jewelry Add-On" extends coverage to include precious metals and offers significant protection. "Portable Electronic Items Add-On" is essential, covering devices like laptops and phones that may not be included in standard policies. In the event of home damage, "Alternate Accommodation Add-On" eases the burden by covering the cost of temporary housing during repairs. For added security, "New-for-Old Cover" ensures valuable items are replaced with new ones, rather than reimbursed at their depreciated value. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Low premiums" comment="Subhead" text="Low premiums">Low premiums</cmsannotation> Interestingly home insurance premiums are low and are very manageable. Home insurance premiums vary based on factors like property value and coverage. “ The premium for home insurance lies between 0.10 per thousand to 0.25 per thousand sum insured,” says Batra. You can get a ₹ 1 crore sum assured for as low as ₹2,500 per year and ₹25,000 for a 10-year period. Comprehensive plans with added features will cost you more. It's essential to obtain quotes from different insurers to find the best policy that suits your specific needs and budget.

From fire to floods – Why home insurance is something you should not  ignore

As floods become a recurring threat, here’s how to insure your home from natural calamities

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A massive slab of ice and rock broke off a glacier in the mountains of northern <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> in February.</li><li>New research suggests the slab fell a mile down, resulting in a rare flood <a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-show-rescue-operations-following-glacier-caused-flooding-in-india-2021-2">that killed 200 people</a>.</li><li>A warming climate is linked to more glacier-related landslides, so experts expect to see more of such floods.</li></ul>Imagine a wall of rock and ice 1,800 feet wide falling the length of four Empire State Buildings stacked end-to-end.A slab that size is responsible for the disaster in northern India that killed more than 200 people and destroyed two power plants four months ago, according to <a href="https://eurekalert.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=394dac0d2e831bfd2ca7fc3b5&amp;id=a5a2e2a0ee&amp;e=d04231fbdc4231fbdc">a new study</a> published Thursday.Just before dawn on February 7, a massive chunk broke off a glacier on Ronti Peak in the Indian Himalayas. The slab dropped more than a mile into the valley below, from its position roughly 18,000 feet above ground, at almost 134 miles per hour. As the chunk landed, the rock disintegrated and the ice melted, creating a wall of water and debris that swiftly funneled into the river valley below. From there, the mixture cascaded toward the Rishiganaga and Tapovan <keyword id="84643" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="hydropower">hydropower</keyword> plants in India's Chamoli district. After a curve in the valley slowed the sludge down, it swept into tunnels underneath the plants at speeds of up to 56 miles per hour, trapping and killing many workers inside.The severity of the event, known as the Chamoli disaster, initially stumped scientists. Typically, landslides in the region don't kickstart floods as rapid or lengthy as the one that occurred in February."A 'normal' dry rock <keyword id="108152" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="avalanche">avalanche</keyword> would not have traveled as far as this one did - in other words, would not have reached either the Rishiganga or Tapovan hydroplants," Dan Shugar, a geoscientist at the University of Calgary and co-author of the new study, told Insider.Shugar's team discovered key elements that could explain the disaster's severity: The initial avalanche's composition (about 20% ice and 80% rock), coupled with its mile-long fall, resulted in a hyper-mobile torrent of debris that doomed workers in the valley below.The researchers calculated that the flood was 27 million cubic meters in volume - enough to cover <a href="http://mathcentral.uregina.ca/QQ/database/QQ.09.13/h/john1.html">more than 1,600 football fields</a> in 10 feet of debris and still have some left over.<h2>The flood climbed 722 feet up the valley walls</h2><div type="image" title="chamoli disaster" height="2158" width="2330" msid="83417712" hostid="261"></div>Flooding and landslides are not uncommon in Uttarakhand, the area of northern India where Chamoli is located. In 2013, heavy rainfall set off devastating floods in the area than killed <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/india-raises-flood-death-toll-reaches-5700-as-all-missing-persons-now-presumed-dead/">up to 5,700 people</a>. After the February disaster, experts initially thought a lake near the top of Ronti Peak had burst after the chunks of glacier holding it together cracked or broke off. Some glacial lakes can hold hundreds of millions of cubic meters of water. But satellite imagery showed there were no such lakes along the debris flow's path. By analyzing maps of the valleys' terrain, video footage of the event, and earthquake data in the area, Shugar's team was able to reconstruct what happened.The chunk of glacier that broke off Ronti Peak in the early morning was, on average, 262 feet thick. When it touched down at the mountain's base, the slab flattened a section of nearby forest, and threw a thick dust cloud into air. The impact with the valley floor was so violent that the rock and ice therein blended together to form a flood that climbed 722 feet up the valley walls.It was "almost the 'optimal' combination" for melting glacier ice, Holger Frey, a glaciologist at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, told Insider. The massive flood, he added, "facilitated the large reach and destructive nature of this disastrous event."<div type="image" title="chamoli" height="1349" width="2953" msid="83417713" hostid="261"></div><h2>'It's only a matter of time' until a disaster like this happens again</h2>The flood caught workers at the hydroplants in Chamoli by surprise. But according to the study, an early warning system could have given workers six to 10 minutes of notice before the flood reached them. Seismic sensors - which monitor rumblings in the Earth for signs of earthquakes or shifting rock - can detect when an avalanche happens and let workers know if a flood is on its way.Even if the Chamoli disaster couldn't have been prevented, Frey said, "a well-designed warning system should be able to warn workers at these plants and allow them to seek safe grounds."After all, the conditions that led to the Chamoli disaster aren't going to disappear any time soon.<div type="image" title="chamoli" height="2657" width="3543" msid="83417714" hostid="261"></div>Evidence from other mountainous regions, like Alaska, suggest glacier-related landslides are increasing in frequency as the climate warms, according to Shugar."I expect this would be similar in high mountain Asia," he said.Rising air and surface temperatures are linked to more instability in <keyword id="6616544" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Glaciers">glaciers</keyword> and an increasing likelihood of landslides high in the mountains. The warmer the Earth becomes, the more glaciers shrink."It's only a matter of time before the next such massive event will happen somewhere in the Himalayas," Frey said <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/emb_releases/2021-06/uoz-cdc060821.php">in a press release</a>.

Scientists have solved the mystery behind India's devastating flood that killed 200 people in February

President <keyword id="6354561" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ram-nath-kovind">Ram Nath Kovind</keyword> on Friday awarded prestigious awards to nine meritorious students of <keyword id="6359674" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="iit-roorkee">IIT Roorkee</keyword> as the premier institution held its 19th annual convocation here. This is the first time in the history of the institution that more than 300 students are being awarded their PhD degrees. Three PhD students received the award under the Engineering and Science category from President Kovind. Pulkit Singhal, B.tech, <keyword id="6603085" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mechanical-Engineering">Mechanical Engineering</keyword>, received the President Gold Medal for having the highest Cumulative Grade Points Average (CGPA). Hrituraj Singh, B.Tech, Electrical Engineering, was awarded the Institute Silver Medal for having the second highest CGPA. Tanvi Verma, B.Tech, Engineering Physics, received the Institute Bronze Medal for having the third highest CGPA. The Director Gold Medal for the best all rounder went to Sumit Kumar Yadav, B.Tech, Electronics and Communication Engineering while the Gold Medal named after former President of India Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma went to Shivam Jindal, B.Tech, Computer Science and Engineering, for excellent contribution in the field of social service among the all UG/PG students. Anant Vashistha, B.Techh, Production and Industrial Engineering won Dr Jai Krishna Gold Medal for excellent contribution in the field of Youth Leadership. The three students who won the Doctoral Excellence awards are Dr Dhiraj Raj, Department of Earthquake Engineering, Dr Yogeshkumar Manibhai Makwana, Department of Electrical Engineering and Dr Pallavi Gupta, Centre for nanotechnology. Uttarakhand <keyword id="130" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Governor">Governor</keyword> Baby Rani Maurya, HRD Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and IIT Roorkee Director Professor AK Chaturvedi were also present. Professor N P Padhy, Chairman Convocation, IIT Roorkee said that as many as 2029 students are being awarded degrees in this year's convocation. Out of the 2029 students, 1018 are undergraduate recipients, 702 Post Graduate and 309 PhD degree recipients.

Nine IIT Roorkee students get awarded by the Indian President for outstanding academic performance

The makers of the drone '<keyword id="116774" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rancho">Rancho</keyword>' seen in the movie <keyword id="6373971" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="3-idiots">3 idiots</keyword> have created several <keyword id="6370270" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="unmanned-aerial-vehicles">unmanned aerial vehicles</keyword> that are being used by Indian defence forces and in intelligence and surveillance ops. 
 
A team of four IIT alumni - Ankit Mehta, Rahul Singh, Ashish Bhat, and Vipul Joshi - started a company called ideaForge in 2007 to give their dream wings. They were working on developing technologies back in college and had many ideas they wanted to convert into products by the time they graduated. 
 
In 2008, recognition from government came to them when they won a Micro Aerial Vehicle competition at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. Thereafter, they landed with several government projects, one of which wa NETRA – a vertical takeoff and landing UAV built on quadrotor configuration that the team developed in collaboration with Defence Research and Development Organisation. 
 
 This UAV could take off from a small area and could fly over an area up to the height of 400m sending continuous real time videos of movements on the ground. It was this early prototype of NETRA that you had seen during the shoot of 3 Idiots. The movie director of 3 idiots had read about the drone and work by <keyword id="137562" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="IITians">IITians</keyword> in the newapaper. 
 
In 2009, ideaForge developed the world’s smallest and lightest autopilot drone and also came up with India’s first fully autonomous vertical takeoff and landing UAV. In this, a user feeds the GPS location of the required destination, which is then converted into command and instructions and the UAV reaches the location autonomously. 
 The UAV's made by this team are typically easy-to-use, so they can be used easily during emergencies. So far, they have been used by the <keyword id="6354416" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Army">Indian Army</keyword> to look for survivors after the deadly Uttarakhand floods back in 2013, to map the positions of militants during defence ops, for disaster management during the Nepal earthquake, and to manage crowds during the Kumbh mela. One of ideaForge’s <keyword id="94769" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="drones">drones</keyword> also helped in tracking a man-eating tigress in Uttarakhand.

Here's the stellar work done by four IITians who built 'Drone Rancho' for the famous movie '3 idiots'

Time and again, we have seen and read about many natural disasters that have caused great havoc in the world, killing thousands of people and destroying properties and livelihood. 
 
Despite the fact that the human race has made tremendous technological progress in various fields, predicting and preventing natural disasters is one area where we haven’t been able to surpass the supremacy of Nature. Despite the technological and scientific advancements in this field, and ground breaking developments in weather forecast techniques, disasters at many times cannot be accurately predicted. 
 
Dark days for India 
Any Indian won’t easily forget the destruction caused by the tsunami in Southern India which was triggered by a major earthquake in 2004 and the back-to-back floods in Uttarakhand and Kashmir in 2013 and 2104 respectively. Damages of these floods ranged from $7 billion to $15 billion, impacting more than 2 million Indians. 
 For those of us in the services industry whose mission is to keep organizations’ information technology operations always up and running, or rapidly recover when a disaster strikes, we have a new way of computing that did not exist five years ago – an evolved cognitive system called the <keyword id="816754" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="IBM-Watson">IBM Watson</keyword>. 
 According to a new study by <keyword id="10875" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IBM">IBM</keyword> and Forbes Insights, cognitive computing is enabling a new class of products and services that sense, reason and learn about their users and the world around them. 
 
The Cognitive Relevance 
Cognitive systems have advanced intuitive capabilities that are similar to humans. They can think, observe and direct a course of action based on facts. They have a capability to radically redefine everyday life and enable organizational transformation by engaging and interacting with the company’s stakeholders to learn and make more informed decisions. As of now, this technology is being used by industries - so far including Healthcare, Education, Retail, Commerce - and has potential to be used by the government and other critical industries. 
 As an example, using weather data and Twitter feeds insurance companies are able to use an application powered by <keyword id="6411673" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Watson">Watson</keyword> for real-time weather insights to alert clients about hazardous conditions, such as a hailstorm, and suggest alternate routes or shelter locations. 
 Airlines have the opportunity to combine real-time and historical data to reduce delays and optimize fuel consumption. Utility services could be able to better predict outages and respond more quickly when <keyword id="93858" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bad-weather">bad weather</keyword> strikes. 
 
IBM keeping the enterprise running with Cognitive 
At IBM, we are investing in new capabilities to help clients move from reactive business continuity and disaster recovery planning to a cognitive and predictive resiliency program. The goal is to avoid the impact of a disaster before it occurs. 
 
Here are some ways that cognitive computing can help keep companies up and running during disasters: 
 
Preempting Failures to avoid it 
Predicting weather events with more accurate probability is only one of many tools in the field of preemptive failures. Cognitive systems can run analyses on different data sets, using correlation analysis and time-series analysis to predict failures. By mapping network service orders with past equipment failures, organizations can see which scenarios would most likely result in a failure and avoid a full-blown breakdown. 
 
Analyze best practices 
Consider two companies with state-of-the-art resiliency plans. In the same scenario, one company is experiencing outages while the other does not. What are they doing differently? The answer might not be obvious. It could be very minor variations in their respective technologies that make all the difference. A cognitive system can compare multiple variables across multiple companies to look for correlations that define the most successful practices. 
 
Integrate the cognitive agent into technical support 
Every moment that a service system is down translates into lost revenue, decreased productivity and frustrated users. A cognitive agent can answer questions with precision to get the systems back online faster whenever there are technical issues. IBM Watson, for example, responds with an answer in less than a second reducing the time it takes to determine the problem by up to 37 percent. 
 
Resiliency Communication as a Service 
Traditional response plans and incident communications may have been acceptable 5 years ago, but not today. Pre-planning still needs to be done – but with a different focus, and engineered into a platform that enables teams to respond quickly, doing the right thing at the right time, and keeping leaders informed as the event progresses. 
 
Rather than lagging behind a disruptive event and sending out-of-date status reports that can be hours old before they are read by the recipient, Resiliency Communication-as-a-Service lets organizations close the gap, and provide near instantaneous updates to decision makers. This improves the quality, accuracy and timeliness of updates enabling improved decision making, reducing the duration of the disruption and mitigating losses. 
 
IBM RCaaS is a fully integrated platform that can receive and track status information not only from human response teams, but critical assets from the Internet of Things (internet connected appliances). In addition to tracking the actions of systems and devices that are part of your response process, it can also issue commands to internet connected devices – whether to unlock secured access points in the event of a fire, or automatically close loading bay doors or hurricane shutters when needed. 
 
In an emergency, speed is essential. Including cognitive analytics in disaster recovery and business continuity plans helps to prioritize the best way to effectively allocate assets to notify customers, restore systems and services and assist employees. 
 
(The article is authored by Vikas Prasad, Associate Director at IBM Global Technology Services for India/South Asia.)

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