Hyderabad: Whirlwind Michangcausing serious damage to many areas andhra pradesh and tamil nadu In December 2023, it caused widespread shoreline erosion Significant changes in rainfall before and after landfall, especially along the coastline.
Cyclones also affect vegetation, climate conditions, coral reefand have had significant economic and social impacts on communities in these areas.
A study titled “Rapid Impact Assessment of Severe Cyclone Storm Michangyan” coastal areas Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, India: A geospatial analysis” published in the Journal of Environmental Management reveals these findings. The study provides a comprehensive assessment of ecological and environmental changes in coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu following cyclones. The study was jointly conducted by: Fakir Mohan UniversityOrissa and the Federal University of Paraiba, Brazil.
The study showed that healthy vegetation decreased significantly from 5.71% to 1.30%, while unhealthy vegetation increased slightly from 38.54% to 39.92%, highlighting the serious impact of the cyclone. The Disaster Vegetation Damage Index (DVDI) further showed that 40.24% of the assessed area suffered severe damage and 56.49% of the assessed area suffered moderate damage. Additionally, the Modified Vegetation Condition Index (mVCI) showed an alarming growth in areas with poor growing conditions, expanding from less than one square kilometer to nearly 300 square kilometres. Of the 642 square kilometers of coastline covered by the study, 79.46% showed erosion.
