Pune: The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune has joined hands with Italy’s Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change (CMCC) to advance the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in climate science. The collaboration, formalized during an international workshop on AI applications in climate and ocean sciences, aims to improve weather forecasting, climate predictions, and ocean monitoring.
AI in Climate Science
The partnership will focus on using AI and ML for long-term climate projections, extreme weather event predictions, and ocean state estimation. Researchers from both countries will work on joint projects, data-sharing frameworks, and exchange programs for scientists and students.
IITM Director R. Krishnan emphasized that integrating AI into climate research is crucial for improving predictions, particularly in the Indian subcontinent. Dr. Swapna Panickal, Deputy Project Director for Climate Modeling at IITM, highlighted the role of AI in understanding climate variability amid rising extreme weather events.
CMCC Director Prof. Antonio Navarra stated that the initiative will strengthen global efforts to address climate change through collaborative research.
Key Discussions and Future Plans
The workshop covered topics such as AI-driven climate modeling, ML applications in weather forecasting, and data-driven conservation efforts. A white paper outlining ML’s role in climate science is expected soon.
Both institutions plan to continue collaboration through annual workshops in India and Italy, virtual research initiatives, and joint funding proposals. The event also saw participation from scientists from IITM, IISc, IMD, NCMRWF, and INCOIS on the Indian side, while the Italian delegation included experts from CMCC, the Italian National Centre for Research (CNR), and Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK).
The initiative signals a growing emphasis on AI in climate science, with both countries looking to enhance predictive capabilities and mitigate climate risks through data-driven approaches.
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