An aerial view of Cochin city in Kerala, India. Atul Loke / Getty
An aerial view of Cochin city in Kerala, India. Atul Loke / Getty
An aerial view of Cochin city in Kerala, India. Atul Loke / Getty
An aerial view of Cochin city in Kerala, India. Atul Loke / Getty

Kerala's floods are a sombre reminder of the need to adapt rapidly in response to a disaster


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Martin Luther King Jr once spoke of building "dykes of courage", a memorable sermon about forcing change on America's entrenched racially segregated system. But after the worst floods in the southern Indian state of Kerala in nearly a century, the issue is not about forcing change but dealing with it.

From India’s most urbanised state, with an enviable record of social, health and educational progress over many decades, Kerala now confronts a truly dreadful prospect of hardship, human suffering, loss, immense need and finite resources for at least the next few years.

The damage is extensive and that is even before the floodwaters have started to recede, the likely consequences of waterborne disease are factored in and a proper tally drawn up. Nearly two weeks of an unusually heavy monsoon have left tens of thousands of homes, 200 bridges and 6,000 miles of roads, including major highways, destroyed or badly damaged. More than 410 people have died. Over a million people are living in 3,200 relief camps, hastily set up in schools, colleges, community centres or anywhere that seems safe.

The Malayali diaspora, watching in agony from around the world, has been working overtime to keep Kerala's tragedy at the top of social media feeds. They have been doing a good job – often a necessary humanitarian one – pointing out from afar isolated communities in need of rescue from the rising waters, complete with GPS coordinates. The diaspora has also been mobilising aid and other resources. Indians at home and elsewhere have gratefully noted that humanity overrides politics and geographical divisions, with the Pakistan Association Dubai among those sending relief supplies.

__________

Read more:

Indian businessman Dr Shamsheer Vayalil pledges Dh26m to restore flood-hit Kerala

India's UAE ambassador calls for cash not supplies to aid flood-hit Kerala

From climate change to illegal mining, debate rages over the cause of the Kerala floods

Editorial: It is vital to help restore the dignity of Keralites who have lost everything

_________

So far, the publicity has been paying off and most people in Kerala don't seem to feel forgotten. India's federal government has sent in the military to save lives. Other Indian states have offered assistance – money, food and 100 doctors and paramedics from Maharashtra, for instance. In the dark humour of a cartoon in an Indian newspaper, two Malayali men atop a roof, with the waters rising all around, comfort each other with the words: "Good news is that the entire country is united in helping us."

That is all fine up to a point but public attention is fickle, lasting only as long as it takes for the news cycle to move on. In the circumstances, Kerala’s chief resource in dealing with an outlier like the floods of 2018 has to be resilience. These floods will probably end up doing more economic damage and taking a greater toll in terms of human suffering than anything else in Kerala since the great deluge of 1924.

As insurance companies around the world have acknowledged in the past few years, the cost of natural disasters is rising but in terms of money rather than lives. This is mostly because our more technologically advanced, better-informed world has succeeded in making natural disasters less deadly. But more of the world's population and economic activity is concentrated in places where disasters are likely. Kerala fits the bill. It is crisscrossed by 44 rivers and beset by illegal sand mining from those rivers in order to feed India’s appetite for a billion square yards a year of mostly concrete property development. Despite warnings in 2011, environmentally dangerous economic activity has also been allowed in parts of Kerala.

In any case, it is inevitable that the economic cost of these floods will be higher than in 1924. For a start, the state is more urbanised than the erstwhile Malabar, Travancore-Cochin, Kasargod and South Kanara, that merged to form Kerala in 1956. It also has a higher population.

The way forward clearly has to be recognition of the cost of rare, unpredictable events such as floods and for better development to mitigate their possible consequences. This might mean more stringent government action than before against sand-mining, ecologically harmful industrial activity and new building codes to make urban Kerala more resilient to floodwaters.

But perhaps it also calls for something else. For Kerala in particular, and India more generally, this disaster offers an opportunity to assess change-readiness. The concept was pioneered by consulting firm KPMG after Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake. As KPMG’s global chair of international development assistance services Timothy Stiles put it at the time: “There was a thought that, regardless of the amount of development money being poured into Haiti, they wouldn’t be able to use it as effectively as other nations might. We couldn’t put our finger on exactly why but that was the general sense from the people who had worked there.”

So KPMG created the global change readiness index to measure a country’s ability to adapt rapidly in response to disaster or opportunity. Until 2017, when Switzerland came out top, Singapore led the pack. Indeed, change-readiness must be in a country – and a people’s – cultural DNA if it is to adapt in response to good things and bad. The dykes Kerala needs are not physical constructs.

Dubai Women's Tour teams

Agolico BMC
Andy Schleck Cycles-Immo Losch
Aromitalia Basso Bikes Vaiano
Cogeas Mettler Look
Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
Hitec Products – Birk Sport 
Kazakhstan National Team
Kuwait Cycling Team
Macogep Tornatech Girondins de Bordeaux
Minsk Cycling Club 
Pannonia Regional Team (Fehérvár)
Team Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Team Ciclotel
UAE Women’s Team
Under 23 Kazakhstan Team
Wheel Divas Cycling Team

STAGE 4 RESULTS

1 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 4:51:51

2 David Dekker (NED) Team Jumbo-Visma

3 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 

4 Elia Viviani (ITA) Cofidis

5 Matteo Moschetti (ITA) Trek-Segafredo

General Classification

1 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 12:50:21

2 Adam Yates (GBR) Teamn Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:43

3 Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:03

4 Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:43

5 Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45

The biog

Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates

Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.

Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.

Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.

Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile 

Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran

Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

Company profile

Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space

Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)

Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)

Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi 

Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution) 

Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space  

Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
About Housecall

Date started: July 2020

Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: HealthTech

# of staff: 10

Funding to date: Self-funded

Opening weekend Premier League fixtures

Weekend of August 10-13

Arsenal v Manchester City

Bournemouth v Cardiff City

Fulham v Crystal Palace

Huddersfield Town v Chelsea

Liverpool v West Ham United

Manchester United v Leicester City

Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur

Southampton v Burnley

Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton

THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

BRAZIL%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EGoalkeepers%3A%20Alisson%2C%20Ederson%2C%20Weverton%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EDefenders%3A%20Dani%20Alves%2C%20Marquinhos%2C%20Thiago%20Silva%2C%20Eder%20Militao%20%2C%20Danilo%2C%20Alex%20Sandro%2C%20Alex%20Telles%2C%20Bremer.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EMidfielders%3A%20Casemiro%2C%20Fred%2C%20Fabinho%2C%20Bruno%20Guimaraes%2C%20Lucas%20Paqueta%2C%20Everton%20Ribeiro.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EForwards%3A%20Neymar%2C%20Vinicius%20Junior%2C%20Richarlison%2C%20Raphinha%2C%20Antony%2C%20Gabriel%20Jesus%2C%20Gabriel%20Martinelli%2C%20Pedro%2C%20Rodrygo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Day 1 results:

Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)

Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)

UAE rugby in numbers

5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons

700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams

Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams

Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season

Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season

Aston martin DBX specs

Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: nine-speed automatic

Power: 542bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Top speed: 291kph

Price: Dh848,000

On sale: Q2, 2020
 

Plan to boost public schools

A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.

It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.

Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.

Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Results

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m

Winner: Ziyadd, Richard Mullen (jockey), Jean de Roualle (trainer).

7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m

Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m

Winner: Secret Advisor, Tadhg O’Shea, Charlie Appleby.

8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Plata O Plomo, Carlos Lopez, Susanne Berneklint.

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner: Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

ESSENTIALS

The flights 

Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes. 

Where to stay 

The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.