Atmospheric Research Division (ARD) at APSDMA

• Disaster is a sudden, calamitous event bringing great damage, loss, destruction and devastation to life and property.
• The damage caused by disaster is immeasurable and varies with the geographical location, climate and the type of the earth surface.
• This influences the mental, socio-economic, political and cultural state of the affected area. Generally, disaster has the following effects in the concerned areas,
• It completely disrupts the normal day to day life
• It negatively influences the emergency systems
• Normal needs and processes like food, shelter, health, etc. are affected and deteriorate depending on the intensity and severity of the disaster. It may also be termed as “a serious disruption of the functioning of society, causing widespread human, material or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected society to cope using its own resources.”

Types of Disaster

Generally, disasters are of two types

• Natural
• Manmade.

Based on the devastation, these are further classified into major/minor natural disaster and major/minor manmade disasters. Some of the disasters are listed below.

• Major natural disasters: Flood, Cyclone, Drought, Earthquake
• Minor natural disasters: Cold waves, Thunderstorms, Heat waves, Mud slides, Storm
• Major manmade disaster: Setting of fires Epidemic, Deforestation, Pollution due to prawn cultivation Chemical pollution and Wars
• Minor manmade disaster: Road / train accidents, riots, Food poisoning, Industrial disaster/crisis, Environmental pollution.

Atmospheric Research Division (ARD) at APSDMA

• An Atmospheric Research Division (ARD) is established at APSDMA with the aim to carry out research in Atmospheric Science to provide updated precise information on weather systems which are concerned to atmospheric related natural Disasters viz., Cyclones, Thunderstorms, Drought, Cold waves and Heat waves for taking right decisions in right time to mitigate the disaster with no loss or minimum loss of lives and property.
• In addition to information from IMD, ARD shall identify a suitable Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) Model and use to predict daily weather events like Cyclones, Thunderstorms more precisely, river floods and storm surge probability.
• Required user friendly products shall be generated using latest Software tools to identify districts / mandals those will be affected and communicated through APSDMA web portal and electronic media. District wise & Mandal wise weather predictions for AP State shall be issued with specific mention on probability of disaster event.

Research & Development

• Daily Data and products shall be archived for further research. Operational and event based observation documents shall be prepared and issued to all concerned.
• Research on disaster events shall be carried out and published. The new findings thus emerged shall be implemented to improve weather event forecast for better disaster management.
• Invited talks through e-learning , Seminars, Training / workshop to science and technology students , operational teams shall be arranged by inviting experts from academic institutes, Universities and research centers.