IITM launches joint research projects to revolutionise climate predictions using AI
This partnership aims to revolutionise climate predictions, enhance weather forecasting, and improve ocean monitoring through cutting-edge AI-driven techniques
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune has launched a collaborative research initiative with the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change (CMCC) on Wednesday to advance the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in climate science.
This partnership aims to revolutionise climate predictions, enhance weather forecasting, and improve ocean monitoring through cutting-edge AI-driven techniques.
The initiative was formalised during an international workshop on Machine Learning in Climate, Weather, and Ocean Sciences, hosted by IITM on Wednesday. The event brought together leading scientists from India and Italy, fostering collaboration between research institutions in both countries to enhance predictive capabilities and develop innovative approaches to climate modelling.
R Krishnan, director of IITM, underscored the significance of this initiative, stating, “This workshop marks a crucial step in integrating AI and ML to improve our understanding and prediction of climate and weather patterns, particularly in the Indian subcontinent. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with Italian researchers in the coming years.”
Dr. Swapna Panickal, deputy project director – Climate Modeling at IITM, emphasized the urgency of AI-driven advancements, saying, “With the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, AI and ML approaches are essential in refining predictions and understanding climate variability. This collaboration is a milestone in leveraging technology to address climate challenges.”
Prof Antonio Navarra, director of CMCC, highlighted the broader impact of the partnership, stating, “By combining expertise in climate, weather, and ocean sciences, India and Italy can jointly tackle global environmental challenges. This initiative will drive innovation and contribute to international efforts in climate change mitigation.”
Key themes discussed at the workshop included ML applications in climate modelling, long-term projections, weather forecasting, and AI-driven methods for predicting extreme weather events. The discussions also explored ML’s role in ocean state estimation, marine ecosystem monitoring, and conservation efforts. A significant outcome of the workshop was the agreement to establish joint research projects, collaborative data-sharing frameworks, and potential student and researcher exchange programs.
A white paper outlining the role of ML in climate science is expected to be developed soon. The event also laid the foundation for future collaborative efforts, including joint working groups, funding proposals, and the continuation of annual workshops alternating between India and Italy. Virtual collaborations and joint research initiatives will be key elements of this partnership as both countries work toward addressing global climate challenges.
The workshop featured participation from prominent Indian scientists, including IITM director Dr R Krishnan and researchers from IITM, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), NCMRWF, IMD, and INCOIS. The Italian delegation was led by CMCC director Prof. Antonio Navarra and Paola Mercogliano, along with experts from the Italian National Centre for Research (CNR) and Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK).
