Anthropology's Nikhil Anand Offers Insight Following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma
The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through November, has already seen two of the strongest storms on record, with hurricanes Irma and Harvey bringing extreme winds, torrential rain and significant flooding to the population centers in their paths.
Nikhil Anand, an assistant professor of anthropology, has studied urban water issues extensively, particularly in Mumbai. He says that in rebuilding efforts, cities in the path of strong weather benefit from addressing how they think about new infrastructure.
“Floods are caused not just by heavy rains but also the way that cities rapidly bury all natural flood protections under layers of concrete and asphalt. While such urban development can be profitable to some, it also poses a challenge to the viability of a city in the future, particularly for its more vulnerable populations.”
Click here to read more about how Penn experts are addressing the storms.
