India, April 25 -- For Anitha K (name changed) of Chennai, the Michaung cyclone in December 2023, brought no surprises. Previous storms in 2015, 2017 and 2021 taught her to store ration, power banks and water in the topmost loft of the second storey in her house. "Every year, we face relentless rains, flooding, contamination of water and food, power outages and job loss. Basic resources, already scarce, vanish during disasters. It is better to stock up," she says.

Anitha lives in the Perumbakkam resettlement colony, 30 km from the Chennai city centre. Previously, she lived in a thatched-roof house along the Cooum river in Chennai, which was prone to inundation and forced her family to frequently seek shelter in relief camps. Perumbakkam ...