Early Researcher Spotlight: Meet Surender Raj Vanniya Perumal.

Understanding and mitigating the risks posed by natural hazards is crucial for safeguarding critical infrastructure systems. Researchers like Surender Raj Vanniya Perumal are exploring new approaches to assess vulnerabilities and enhance resilience.

As a PhD candidate in the Water and Climate Risk (WCR) department at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Surender plays a key role in the Multi-hazard Infrastructure Risk Assessment for Climate Adaptation (MIRACA) project, an innovative initiative aimed at strengthening Europe’s infrastructure against climate change impacts.

We spoke with Surender to learn more about his academic journey, his contributions to MIRACA, and what excites him about building resilience in critical infrastructure systems.

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From structural engineering to macroeconomic impact modeling.

Surender’s academic path into infrastructure resilience began with his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore. He then pursued a master’s in structural engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, where his thesis focused on strategies to improve power infrastructure resilience along India’s eastern coast.

“My master’s research on Cyclone Fani’s (2019) impact on the power sector inspired me to explore infrastructure failures and their broader implications. This led me to pursue a PhD in critical infrastructure risk, focusing on macroeconomic impact modeling of natural hazards.” Surender explains.

Before joining IVM, Surender gained industry experience as a flood vulnerability model developer at Impact Forecasting – AON, where he developed flood damage functions and business interruption loss models for the (re)insurance sector. His current research within MIRACA allows him to expand this expertise and assess the regional and sectoral economic impacts of critical infrastructure disruptions.

Infrastructure resilience matters: A journey into MIRACA.

Surender’s role in MIRACA focuses on macroeconomic impact assessment, specifically analyzing how infrastructure failures during natural hazards lead to cascading economic losses. “Critical infrastructures support businesses in their daily operations” he says. “When these infrastructures fail, businesses experience downtime, leading to production losses that ripple through regional and international supply chains.”

His work within MIRACA contributes to developing models that help policymakers and infrastructure managers better understand these vulnerabilities. “With climate change intensifying, critical infrastructures will face increased stress in the coming decades. My research supports the development of adaptation strategies that can help mitigate these risks“.

Surender is particularly excited about the opportunity to collaborate with leading infrastructure risk modelers and domain experts. As he puts it: “MIRACA provides a platform for interactive tools that will aid decision-makers, and I look forward to seeing how our models will be applied in real-world decision-making.”

Driving meaningful change.

When asked about his hopes for the impact of his work, Surender highlights the importance of equipping policymakers with robust risk assessment tools.

“Infrastructure owners and governments need effective adaptation strategies and appraisal methods to make the right investment choices. My research aims to provide comprehensive models that offer a clearer picture of economic losses during natural hazards, helping guide strategic adaptation decisions.”

Outside of his research, Surender enjoys racquet sports and has been playing tennis regularly for the past two years. More recently, he has developed a keen interest in reading.

Keep up with Surender’s work.

You can keep up with Surender Raj Vanniya Perumal’s research on LinkedIn, as well as check out his latest publication:

• Raj, S. V., Bhatia, U., & Kumar, M. (2022). Cyclone preparedness strategies for regional power transmission systems in data-scarce coastal regions of India. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 75, 102957. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.102957

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About MIRACA:

Led by a consortium of top researchers, engineers, and climate specialists, the Multi-hazard Infrastructure Risk Assessment for Climate Adaptation (MIRACA) project is strengthening Europe’s critical infrastructure against the impacts of climate change. MIRACA equips public authorities with an innovative decision-support toolkit—featuring technical guidance, a resilience-testing workbench, and an interactive online viewer—to assess risks, explore adaptation strategies, and close data gaps. With open-access models and practical insights from five diverse European use cases, MIRACA empowers communities to implement cost-effective, resilient infrastructure solutions across the continent.