Climate and Water – Scope in the Insurance Industry

Join us for an insightful seminar exploring the intersection of climate science, water-related risks, and the evolving role of the insurance industry. This session will provide a comprehensive, 360-degree perspective on modeling and managing catastrophe risks by leveraging cutting-edge science and technology. Key topics include: Extreme Weather-Related Risks: A deep dive into the impacts of floods, storm surges, tropical and extra-tropical cyclones, severe convective storms, and winter storms. We'll also touch on broader risks such as earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, and agricultural vulnerabilities. Innovative Tools and Techniques: Discover how remote sensing, GIS, site-specific coefficients, and advanced software development are transforming risk assessment. Machine Learning in Climate Modeling: Learn how machine learning is revolutionizing weather and climate predictions, with a focus on high-resolution modeling, long-term forecasting, and integrating carbon emissions as a crucial variable. The seminar will conclude by exploring scope at Moody’s. This seminar will illuminate how innovative technologies are reshaping insurance in a climate-impacted world. Brief Bio of Speaker: Dr. Kedar Otta completed a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from CET Bhubaneswar (now OUTR). Following this, Dr. Otta pursued a master's degree in Civil Engineering (EWRE) from IIT Hyderabad, graduating in 2018. In 2021, Dr. Otta earned a PhD from the University of Tokyo, Japan. His dissertation focused on "Climate Change Impacts on Water Temperature and Thermal Power Plant Efficiency." Following the doctorate, Dr. Otta served as a Project Researcher at the University of Tokyo for eight months, investigating "Neutralizing Distance for Thermal Effluent Discharge under Climate Change." Subsequently, Dr. Otta joined the National Institute of Environmental Studies (NIES) as a Research Associate, concentrating on the validation of reservoir operations using remote sensing satellite data. As part of the ISIMIP project, Dr. Otta contributed to the development of historical and future scenarios for H08, a model that simulates water usage across agricultural, industrial, and domestic sectors, incorporating reservoir operations and crop modeling. In July 2023, Dr. Otta transitioned to Moody’s RMS, currently working as a Modeler (Analytics & Modeling Analyst) in the Flood team. The primary responsibilities include machine learning-based weather forecasting and tsunami modeling. -- Best regards, Satish Kumar Regonda