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In an era dominated by technological advancements, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has embarked on a transformative journey, leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques to enhance the precision and accuracy of weather, climate, and ocean forecasts. Under the visionary leadership of Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Shri Kiren Rijiju, MoES has championed the establishment of dedicated AI and ML centers, fostering groundbreaking research and development in this domain.
The advent of the AI and ML virtual center within MoES has proven to be a pivotal milestone. Its primary objective revolves around the development, testing, and implementation of various AI and ML techniques, bolstered by capacity-building endeavors such as workshops and conferences. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has witnessed a paradigm shift with the creation of a robust computing environment and virtual workspace, facilitating the training and deployment of AI models via a Graphical processor-based server.
The application of AI and ML techniques has yielded promising achievements in revolutionizing weather prediction:
- Enhancement of short-range precipitation forecasts, showcasing remarkable reductions in bias across 1-day, 2-day, and 3-day lead times.
- Pioneering the development of high-resolution (300m) urban gridded meteorological datasets for temperature and precipitation, a groundbreaking feat in improving localized forecasts.
- Introduction of the time-varying Normalized Difference Urbanization Index, boasting a spatial resolution of 30 meters spanning from 1992 to 2023.
- Creation of very high-resolution precipitation datasets, instrumental for stringent verification processes.
- Exploratory endeavors utilizing Deep Learning techniques for precipitation nowcasting, harnessing data from Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs) to push the boundaries of predictive accuracy.
MoES envisions a future where weather and climate forecasts will amalgamate AI/ML models with traditional numerical weather prediction models, heralding a new era of hybrid technology. The ministry staunchly encourages institutes under its umbrella to embrace AI and ML innovations, fostering their integration into the fabric of Earth Sciences research and development. As part of this commitment, MoES remains dedicated to enhancing High-Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure, crucial for advancing AI and ML-based data-driven modeling.
A crucial application of these advancements lies in generating species-specific Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories for fishermen across coastal states, underscoring the tangible socio-economic impact of AI and ML in Earth Sciences.
Union Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju emphasized these advancements in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, underscoring the transformative potential of AI and ML in reshaping the landscape of weather and climate forecasts, heralding a future of precision and reliability in Earth Sciences.