Parametric insurance scheme should be implemented in marine fisheries to compensate the loss suffered by the fishermen following weather alerts, said Muralee Thummarukudy, Operations Manager, Crisis Management Branch of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Speaking at a webinar organised by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), he said, “Recent increasing trend of cyclones have a cascading effect on the livelihood of the fishers.” Ensuring a parametric insurance scheme would make fishermen fully cooperative to such alerts banning fishing, he added.

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Thummarukudy also said that climate change and extreme weather conditions would cause more calamities in marine fisheries sector in future.

He further said that subjects on disaster management and safety measures should be included in school syllabus to contain the adversities and accidents by bad practices. “Large number of people loses their lives through road accidents and drowning in Kerala. This could be controlled to a greater extent by inculcating proper safety culture among the public,” he said adding that effective awareness would reduce the risk of natural disasters.

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“Disasters could be predicted by analysing a previous tragedy with its geography and time periods. Taking precautions by assessing these possibilities of a calamity is the best available option to reduce the risk of natural disasters,” he said.

Referring to the Covid-19 pandemic, he hoped that a normal life without mask would be possible by September next year.

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