“Leveraging AI to Scale Climate Adaptation and Resilience”
Speaker : Sanjay Kumar Srivastava
S Radhakrishnan Chair Professor, EECCP/NIAS
@ : Sanjay.srivastava@nias.res.in
Chairperson : R Srikanth
Dean, School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, NIAS
@ : rsrikanth@nias.res.in
Date : 1 April 2026
Time : 9.30 AM
Venue : Lecture Hall
Abstract: The transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) is key to strengthening the resilience of communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems against the escalating impacts of climate change. By bridging critical data gaps and automating complex analyses, AI is shifting the global climate paradigm from reactive recovery to proactive, data-driven adaptation. Important enablers include Predictive Early Warning Systems: Implementing deep learning models that integrate satellite imagery, sensor data, and historical records to provide hyper-localized forecasts for floods, wildfires, and extreme heat, Climate-Smart Resource Management: Using AI to optimize the distribution of critical resources, such as water and emergency aid, and enhancing precision agriculture to protect food security for smallholder farmers, and
Digital Twins for Urban Resilience: Creating virtual replicas of cities to simulate disaster scenarios, allowing planners to identify and fortify vulnerable infrastructure before shocks occur. By democratizing access to AI-driven insights through interoperable APIs and natural language platforms, AI will empower local governments and organisations to make informed, building-level adaptation decisions. Ultimately, the integration of AI into climate strategy has the potential to significantly reduce human and economic losses while fostering a more equitable and resilient global future.
About the speaker: Dr. Sanjay K. Srivastava is the S. Radhakrishnan Chair Professor at NIAS, working with the Energy, Environment, and Climate Programme. With over 25 years in disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation across India and Asia-Pacific, he previously served as Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction at UNESCAP, leading major regional initiatives including the Asia-Pacific Disaster Report and the Risk & Resilience Portal. He has advanced early-warning systems, nature-based solutions, regional cooperation, and the use of adaptation technologies from his earlier roles at ESCAP, SAARC, and ISRO. Additionally, he is an adjunct research professor at CUNY Remote Sensing Earth System Institute and its affiliate UN University-Hub (R-SIRUS) at the City College of New York.