AI and climate modeling are the main topics at the UK-India workshop in Shillong

An important step in bilateral climate action cooperation was taken when top specialists from India and the UK convened at IIM Shillong to investigate artificial intelligence solutions for climate concerns. The British High Commission, IIM Shillong, and the Government of Meghalaya organized the two-day workshop, which focused on creating AI-driven strategies to safeguard delicate ecosystems and promote climate research in the area. In order to safeguard communities and advance net-zero objectives, British Deputy High Commissioner Andrew Fleming emphasized the workshop’s significance in fusing India’s local knowledge with the UK’s technical know-how.

Joshua Bamford, Head of Tech and Innovation Team at the British High Commission India, said the project draws on the larger UK-India Technology Security Initiative, which seeks to create a collaborative center for AI with a focus on climate, sustainability, finance, cybersecurity, and healthcare. The Meghalaya Basin Development Authority’s Dr. Albert Chiang highlighted issues with watershed erosion and irregular rainfall as reasons for the area’s deteriorating ecosystem. He emphasized that creating practical climate solutions will require AI-driven local data analysis.

Experts from esteemed organizations such as the University of Oxford, University College London, University of Leeds, and the UK Met Office participated in the event. Representatives from CUSAT, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and other government ministries were among the Indian participants. The UK’s expertise with AI-driven climate modeling, recent Indian advancements in the field, and climatic concerns unique to Northeast India were all discussed in the technical sessions. In the upcoming months, the workshop hopes to convert these conversations into practical climate policies.