India: 'Coastal erosion a serious threat' - expert

According to a tsunami expert and oceanographer, Tad S. Murty, Adjunct Professor at the University of Ottawa, Canada, coastal erosion is a more serious issue than rise in sea level for countries like India and Maldives. In his interview for The Hindu, Dr. Murty called for an integrated system for multiple hazards instead of addressing the problems in isolation, citing the building of coastal defences against tsunamis and storm surges as an example that would also offer protection from sea level rise.

Explaining that "the early warning system in place since 2005 would minimise the loss of life but the damage to infrastructure will be high," he praised the 'vertical evacuation' system pioneered by India, allowing people to be moved quickly into cyclone shelters. Dr. Murty said the same shelters could be used to house people during a tsunami. "Even in a State like Kerala where you do not have cyclones and only the rare tsunami, it makes sense to build cyclone shelters because they can be used for social activities, to house schools, libraries, and small manufacturing units," he concluded.