IBM to invest in tech to predict floods, cyclones in India

IBM today said it will invest in technologies to predict natural disasters like floods and cyclones in India, as part of a USD 30-million global programme aimed at disaster relief.

The global tech major has joined hands with the United Nations, American Red Cross, David Clark Cause and the Linux Foundation for a global initiative to use technology to predict and effectively respond to natural disasters, its managing director for India, Karan Bajwa, said.

"The Indian subcontinent is highly vulnerable to cyclones, droughts, earthquakes and floods, affecting millions of lives and impacting the economy every year," he said in a blog post.

Some of the disasters in India which the five-year programme may focus on would be floods, earthquakes, drought, tsunami, cyclone storms, avalanches and landslides, a company spokesperson said.

As part of the global programme, it is calling on software developers, including its employees, to create the required solutions using cloud, data, artificial intelligence and blockchain platforms.

"Technology can be a powerful force to advance human rights and build more equitable societies," said Laurent Sauveur, head of external relations, United Nations Human Rights Office.

Bajwa said in the last two decades, 2.5 billion people have been directly affected by the nature's fury, resulting in economic impact of nearly USD 1.5 trillion.

The company plans to hold road shows in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad in the coming months to promote the initiative, the spokesperson said.