Technology giant Microsoft India on Monday proclaimed launch of its second phase of an artificial intelligence model 'Sunny Lives' for foreseeing heatwave risks in India in joint venture with Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS). Previous year, the model was effectively tested for cyclones and floods in disaster prone coastal areas in the country.
'Phase II begins with model development for heatwave risks in urban core heatwave zones,' Microsoft India stated in a release. SEEDS would support 1,25,000 at-risk people with pre-emptive disaster warnings in 2021, it said. This AI model solution has been developed under Microsoft's global programme 'Artificial Intelligence for Humanitarian Action' to set up disaster resilient communities in India.
The solution uses high resolution satellite imagery, artificial intelligence coding and dwelling assessments building assessments to forecast disaster impact. The firm said intensifying climate change is increasing heatwave vulnerabilities in Core Heatwave Zones (CHZ) across India and globally, with a likely rise in the coming decades.
Nevertheless, the perception of risk related to heatwaves remains very low, it is largely considered as an outdoor occurrence with no emphasis on risk advisory dissemination by the disaster response authorities.
SEEDS utilising the predictive analytics capabilities of the solution, scaled the model to produce heat waves advisories in 2021, supporting 50,000 at-risk families residing in Delhi and Nagpur by sharing pre-emptive heatwave warnings recommending cost-effective interferences, it added. It is a scalable model designed to generate predictive multi-hazard risk analysis place to include earthquakes, storms, forest fires, and biological disasters in the future.
Responding on the initiative, Microsoft India Director Corporate Affairs-CSR Manju Dhasmana stated, 'Our partnership with SEEDS is one such effort to bring the power of technologies like cloud and AI to alleviate the damage by marshalling relief resources more efficiently and effectively.' It can accelerate the delivery of support and sharpen the decisions of relief workers on the front lines, he said. This year more than 7.5 million people in Odisha were affected by cyclone 'Yaas'.
SEEDS reached out to 1,100 families in Penthakata, Puri with the highest flood susceptibility to disseminate risk advisory generated through the 'Sunny Lives' model, making sure timely evacuation from the vulnerable areas and providing refuge at safer places, he further said.
