INCOIS–NDMA Conclave in Chennai Pushes Marine Multi-Hazard Preparedness

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Ministry of Earth Sciences, in partnership with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), convened the Conclave on Marine Multi-Hazards Services for the Indian Coastline in Chennai. The day-long event brought together scientists, policymakers, disaster managers, maritime forces, industry leaders, and community stakeholders to strengthen India’s coastal disaster preparedness.

New Alerting Technology for Fishermen

Inaugurating the conclave, Lt. Gen. Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.), Member, NDMA, announced that from September 1, 2025, India will trial a cell broadcast common alerting system for the fisherfolk community.

• The system will push alerts even if a mobile phone is on silent mode, ensuring that fishermen at sea and coastal residents receive cyclone or hazard warnings in real time.

• He urged citizens to download the NDMA’s Sachet app and INCOIS’s Samudra app for timely weather alerts.

• Citing the efficient evacuation during Cyclone Biparjoy (2023), he noted that multi-agency coordination and over 32 million alert messages were critical in preventing major loss of life.

"Multi-hazard preparedness is the bedrock of resilience, requiring action by science, governance, armed forces and communities alike," he said.

Science-to-Society Vision of INCOIS

Dr. T.M. Balakrishnan Nair, Director, INCOIS, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to its “Science to Society” vision.

• INCOIS has maintained a record of zero false tsunami alarms, preventing panic-driven evacuations and strengthening public trust.

• He emphasised that preparedness is the strongest protection for vulnerable communities, urging deeper partnerships with state disaster managers, ports, fisheries, industry and coastal communities.

• “Our vision is to ensure that every life and livelihood along India’s coast is protected through science-driven early warning services,” Dr. Nair stated.

Contributions from Partner Institutions

• Prof. Balaji Ramakrishnan, Director, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), noted that coordinated institutional efforts, including those of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), have enabled timely dissemination of tsunami and cyclone warnings. He highlighted the ₹20,000 crore Mission Mausam of the Ministry of Earth Sciences to prepare India for future weather challenges.

• Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson, MSSRF, called for the creation of an emergency sea evacuation service akin to ambulances, to rescue fishermen facing health crises at sea. She also flagged the need to record heat index data, given the long-term health risks posed to coastal workers by climate change.

Programme Highlights

The conclave featured multiple technical sessions on marine hazard monitoring, risk analytics, and preparedness frameworks:

• Operational Services & Innovations: Ocean advisories, tsunami early warnings, UNESCO-IOC’s Tsunami Ready communities, storm surge and swell forecasts, marine heatwave detection, oil spill trajectory forecasting, and search-and-rescue tools.

• Risk Analytics: Multi-hazard vulnerability mapping to identify risk hotspots for lives, livelihoods, and coastal infrastructure.

• Technology & Research: NIOT showcased ocean technologies for disaster management, while the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) presented advances in coastal climate research.

• Policy & Preparedness: NDMA guidelines and Tamil Nadu SDMA’s SOPs reinforced the alignment of national disaster frameworks with state-level implementation.

Key Outcomes

The conclave concluded with a series of consensus decisions:

• Strengthen multi-hazard-ready communities and scale up implementation at state and district levels.

• Deepen user-driven services for fisheries, ports, offshore industries, and coastal infrastructure.

• Integrate feedback loops from local users to improve accuracy and effectiveness of warnings.

• Use upcoming exercises like IOWave25 to enhance preparedness drills, inter-agency coordination, and community outreach.

India’s Global Alignment

The conclave reaffirmed that India’s efforts align with:

• The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

• The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030).

By embedding marine multi-hazard preparedness into national disaster management, India aims to safeguard lives, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure along its 7,500 km coastline while contributing to global resilience frameworks.