MURALEE THUMMARUKUDY: KERALA’S ‘DISASTER CHETTAN’ COMES HOME AFTER A UN ODYSSEY

After decades at the forefront of global disaster response, Dr Muralee Thummarukudy retires from the United Nations at 62, returning to Kerala with a legacy that spans tsunamis, wars, and climate crises and a literary persona that endeared him to Malayalis as “Disaster Chettan”.

For nearly a quarter of a century, Dr Muralee Thummarukudy has been the man the world turned to when disaster struck. From the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami to the Haiti earthquake, from the floods of Thailand to the conflicts of Afghanistan and Syria, his presence was a constant in the United Nations Environment Programme’s most urgent missions. Today, at 62, he chooses to step away from the UN — three years before the mandatory retirement age — to return home to Kerala.  

Born in Vengola, Ernakulam, in 1964, Muralee’s journey began with engineering studies at Mar Athanasius College and IIT Kanpur, culminating in a PhD in environmental engineering. His early career with Shell in Brunei and Oman saw him tackle oil spills and well fires, but it was his move to UNEP in 2003 that defined his life’s work. As head of disaster risk reduction and later acting chief of the disaster and conflict division, he oversaw projects worth over $100 million and helped secure nature-based solutions in the Sendai Framework — a landmark achievement in global disaster policy.  

Kerala remembers him most vividly for his prescient warnings about the 2018 floods and his leadership in the UN’s first Post Disaster Needs Assessment in India. His report, delivered to the Chief Minister, estimated ₹31,000 crore for rebuilding and urged a vision of Kerala as a green state. Later, as Director of the G20’s global initiative against land degradation at UNCCD Bonn, he became one of the rare Malayalis to head a worldwide programme.  

Yet Muralee is not only a UN technocrat. To Malayalis, he is “Disaster Chettan”, the witty writer whose books — Chila Nattukaryangal, Buddhanum Shankaranum Pinne Njanum, Thummarukudy Kathakal — brought disaster science and climate awareness to thousands who would never read a UN report. His humour won him the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award in 2018, while his career guidance columns and free safety manuals shaped a generation seeking opportunities abroad.  

In January, he wrote that 2026 would be his “ghar wapsi” year, after four decades away from Kerala. His playful note about missing the Assembly elections captured his enduring bond with the state. Friends recall how his encouragement opened doors to seminars, conferences, and global programmes, his energy lifting them from setbacks to new heights.  

From Vengola to Geneva, Bonn and beyond, Muralee Thummarukudy spent 23 years teaching the world how to survive disasters. Now he returns to a Kerala still grappling with floods, climate change, and crises of its own. For Malayalis, the homecoming of “Disaster Chettan” not just retirement — it is the beginning of another chapter.