Baird has considerable experience and background in natural marine hazards, which fall in the inter-disciplinary areas of meteorology, climatology, oceanography and hydrology. The development of cost-effective and environmentally sensitive mitigation measures starts with a thorough understanding of the complex physical processes underlying the dynamics of the hazards. Baird deals with the following hazards:

• Storm surge
• Tropical cyclones (hurricanes)
• Tsunamis
• River flooding
• Coastal erosion

Population growth and rapid increase in coastal infrastructure worldwide has increased the vulnerability of all maritime nations to coastal hazards. There is growing evidence that better prediction systems contribute to a great reduction in the loss of life and simultaneously assist in the planning of long term mitigation measures, reducing the damage. Baird has worked both independently, as well as with partners, in developing prediction systems and mitigation plans to address these issues.

Baird has provided services to various levels of governments, as well as to private agencies around the world. These services have included:

• Real-time prediction systems
• Vulnerability assessments
• Recommendations for mitigation measures
• Analysis and software systems