by Sahana Ghosh on 9 March 2021
Floods and cyclones contribute to maximum human deaths in India from extreme weather events (EWEs) but deaths due to heatwave and lightning need urgent attention, a new study has said.
States like Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Kerala, and Maharashtra, with high populations, had the maximum mortality rates due to EWEs in the last two decades.
The analysis underscored a need to consider these multi-hazard-prone states with priority for developing disaster management action plans.
Experts underscored further improving observational and forecasting networks and a focus on climate-resilient infrastructure.
An analysis of deaths from extreme weather events (EWE) in India in the past 50 years has revealed that though tropical cyclones were the least frequent event, they caused 28.6 percent of the mortalities, second only to floods responsible for maximum human deaths. Floods and tropical cyclones contribute almost 75 percent to the total mortali