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Kerala is planning an AI-powered flood resilience system to improve early warnings, strengthen disaster preparedness and help authorities respond faster to extreme weather and flooding.
Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala is planning a technology-driven flood resilience system that will use artificial intelligence, satellite data and advanced rainfall forecasting to predict floods and climate-related disasters before they occur.
A team of experts from IIT Roorkee, IIT Palakkad and IIIT Kottayam has submitted a preliminary framework for the proposed Kerala Flood Resilience Initiative. The plan was presented before Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan during a high-level meeting on Friday.
The proposed system will combine artificial intelligence, machine learning, remote sensing, hydrodynamic modelling and high-precision rainfall forecasts to identify flood-prone areas and improve early warnings. It will focus on Kerala’s growing risks from extreme rainfall, urban flooding, river floods, landslides and mudslides.
Experts have also recommended removing accumulated silt from rivers, lakes and backwaters, but warned that desilting should not be carried out mechanically. They said its impact on natural water flow and the environment must first be scientifically assessed.
Satheesan has directed the Water Resources and Disaster Management departments to jointly examine the proposal’s technical feasibility, financial needs and implementation plan. The departments have been given one month to submit a detailed report. The initiative aims to shift Kerala’s disaster management approach from responding after an event to prediction, prevention and preparedness, while potentially providing a model for other states facing increasing climate-related risks.