Dr. Gracy Margret Mary Rajakan is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Coastal Engineering at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Her work centres on advanced numerical modelling of coastal hydrodynamics and shoreline response, with expertise in SWAN and XBeach for simulating wave transformation, vegetation-induced dissipation, and morphology under high-energy Atlantic wave climates. She completed her PhD in Ocean Engineering at IIT Madras, where she specialised in wave modelling, coastal flood dynamics, and multi-hazard vulnerability assessment using integrated numerical and geospatial frameworks.

Gracy has strong professional experience at IIT Madras and the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. At IIT Madras, she contributed to major coastal engineering projects involving spectral wave modelling, shoreline vulnerability mapping, storm surge and inundation studies, cyclone-impact assessment, and remote sensing–based hazard characterisation. Her work combined numerical simulations, satellite data analysis, GIS workflows, and field-validated coastal risk assessments.

As a Scientist III at NCSCM, she worked on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) programmes and high-resolution Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) mapping across multiple Indian states. She developed spatially explicit coastal habitat maps, shoreline management plans, ecosystem-based vulnerability assessments, and regulatory geospatial datasets required for national coastal governance. Her role involved coordinating multi-disciplinary teams and delivering scientifically robust, policy-relevant coastal modelling and geospatial products.

Across her academic and professional roles, Gracy’s core strengths lie in numerical modelling, coastal engineering, wave–vegetation interactions, remote sensing, GIS, shoreline dynamics, and climate-driven coastal hazard analysis—forming a distinctive technical fingerprint that underpins her current research on nature-based coastal protection and resilient shoreline management.

Project title: Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Infrastructure and the Adaptation Strategies

• Analyzed climate change impacts on coastal dynamics, including erosion, flooding risks, and shoreline recession rates, utilizing advanced numerical modeling techniques.
• Employed sophisticated models such as the Bruun rule and Xbeach 2D morphological model to project future shoreline recession for cyclonic events, aiding in the development of adaptation strategies.
• Provided comprehensive insights and recommendations through detailed reports, integrating findings from numerical modeling to inform effective coastal management decisions.

Project title: Development of Web-Enabled GIS Based Integrated Land Management System for Paradip Port Trust

• Developed an integrated Land Management Information System (LMIS) to efficiently manage both spatial and non-spatial datasets, enabling interactive viewing and reporting functionalities.
• Integrated all generated maps and associated datasets into the LMIS, ensuring compatibility and accessibility for users.
• Implemented mapping functionalities within the LMIS to facilitate the visualization of
  geographic features and boundaries relevant to land management.
• Incorporated robust querying capabilities to enable users to extract specific information from both spatial and non-spatial datasets.
• Provided comprehensive training and support to users on utilizing the LMIS platform for effective data management, querying, and reporting, thereby enhancing decision-making processes related to land management.

Project title: Project: Industrial Corridor Mapping and Site Selection of Industries between Madurai to Thoothukudi using RS & GIS

• Utilized GIS-Fuzzy method to calculate weighted values and identify suitable sites for industrial development, ensuring efficient logistics management.
• Mapped out industrial corridors connecting new and existing industries, optimizing freight transportation routes and enhancing supply chain efficiency.