(Left to Right ) Dr.Akhilesh Gupta, S. Raghavan and Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi inaugurating the new center

A new DST Centre of Excellence in Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Infrastructure and the Adaptation Strategies was launched at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras on Monday.

The centre will conduct studies on predicting impacts of climate change on coastal communities as well as infrastructure like ports and power plants. It will also undertake research to evaluate intensity and frequency of tropical cyclones and extreme rainfall events and their effect on coastal infrastructure. In addition, studies will focus on impact of sea level rise on availability of water and its quality due to enhanced saltwater intrusion as well as waste management.

“This is probably the only centre of in South Asia dedicated to studying climate change impacts and vulnerability in coastal areas. We need greater collaboration among institutes in Tamil Nadu and their functional linkages with society and policy makers to tackle climate change,” Dr. Akhilesh Gupta, Head of Strategic Programmes Large Initiatives and Coordinated Action Enabler (SPLICE) Division at DST.

"The centre will conduct studies on predicting impacts of climate chnage on coastal communities as well as infrastructure like ports and power plants. "

Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director of IIT Madras, said, “climate change impacts on coastal infrastructure requires a multi-disciplinary approach.” The centre will be part of the Indo-German Centre for Sustainability (IGCS) already functioning at IIT Madras.

The major topics to be taken up for research in the centre include climate modelling to evaluate intensity and frequency of tropical cyclones and extreme rainfall events under futuristic warming scenarios in the Bay of Bengal region; estimation of extreme waves and the resulting morphological changes to the coast and estuaries; storm surge modelling to predict extent of surge into land through estuaries.

“The design guidelines to protect vital coastal infrastructures such as ports, power plants and major industries along the coastal region due to climate change scenarios will be formulated under this centre. This would form the basis of structural designs along the coastal regions in near future,” pointed out Speaking about some of the important projects this new centre will take up, Prof. S.A. Sannasi Raj, Head, Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT Madras. India Science Wire