Overview
- IIT Madras said on Wednesday that its Centre of Excellence, supported by the Department of Science and Technology, has packaged years of research into an integrated coastal climate-risk and adaptation framework to support planning and policymaking.
- The team developed tailored climate, cyclone, storm-surge, wave, hydrodynamic and morphodynamic models, including a new wind-merging technique designed to improve storm-surge forecasts at local scales.
- Local products include Coastal Vulnerability Index maps for Chennai, Ennore and Karaikal and flood-inundation models for Chennai and Ennore meant to inform disaster preparedness and urban planning.
- The programme pairs engineering measures—structural health monitoring for ports and climate-resilient reservoir strategies—with water solutions such as a patented in-stream wastewater treatment to protect groundwater and coastal ecosystems.
- Researchers have published extensively and presented at IAHR 2025, but wider impact will depend on adoption by local authorities, funding for implementation, and integration of the open-source tools into existing coastal management systems.