Kerala floods 2018

The possibility of the devastation in Kerala emerged years ago, highlighting the need for better preparation and construction. Severe damage occurred in places that were flagged by expert groups as requiring extra protection and environmental conservation measures, while poor design caused an airport to flood because it was adjacent to Kerala's longest river.

Scientists say that the unprecedented Kerala deluge is the result of intense rainfall, massive deforestation over the years, unrestrained construction, and most of all, stone quarrying that destabilised hill slopes. Scientists also agree that the magnitude and frequency of flooding will increase with a warming climate across the world.

Most of the regions impacted by Kerala's intense monsoon were once classified by a committee as ecologically-sensitive zones, but the Kerala government rejected the committee's report and its recommendations. Some experts are now branding the recent disaster as a "manmade calamity," triggered by the government's past decisions.

Kerala is experiencing its worst floods since 1924 due to an overactive South West Monsoon season, with many attributing human activities to the floods' severity. Deforestation and change in land use patterns have increased vulnerability, and India’s only flood forecasting agency was unaware of the floods because Kerala does not have a forecasting system.