SHILLONG, Feb 19: Leading experts, policymakers, and researchers came together to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can revolutionise climate action in a two-day ‘UK-India Knowledge Exchange Workshop on AI-Based Climate Modelling and Policy Making’, hosted by the British High Commission in collaboration with IIM Shillong and the Meghalaya government.
The event aimed to harness AI-driven solutions for tackling environmental challenges and shaping effective policy frameworks.
Addressing the gathering, Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner to East & Northeast India, emphasized the importance of international collaboration in advancing climate science. “By integrating the UK’s expertise in AI-driven climate modeling with India’s deep regional knowledge, we can develop innovative solutions that protect communities and accelerate the transition to a net-zero future. This initiative lays the foundation for future partnerships in climate innovation and sustainability,” he said.
With key contributions from institutions such as the UK Met Office, University College London, University of Leeds, and the University of Oxford, the workshop underscored the growing commitment to using AI for climate adaptation and mitigation strategies.
Prof DP Goyal, Director of IIM Shillong, highlighted AI’s transformative potential in climate modeling, stressing that precise data and simulations could drive sustainable initiatives like water conservation, energy distribution, and resource optimisation.
Shedding light on broader UK-India technological collaborations, Joshua Bamford, Head of the Tech and Innovation Team at the British High Commission in India, outlined the UK-India Technology Security Initiative. He revealed that both governments are working towards establishing a UK-India Joint Centre for AI, which will focus on climate, sustainability, finance, cybersecurity, and healthcare—with the workshop marking a crucial step in realizing its climate pillar.
The workshop featured technical deep-dives into Northeast India’s climate challenges, AI-driven climate modeling practices from the UK, and India’s innovations in sustainable environmental management.
Experts from institutions such as the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (Govt. of India), Ministry of Earth Sciences (Govt. of India), IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, CUSAT, Meghalaya Basin Development Authority, NLU Meghalaya, and the Meghalaya Technology Park Society shared insights on cutting-edge climate strategies.
