The Ministry of Earth Sciences, in collaboration with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System, has been assisting several countries in the Asia-Pacific and Africa with early hazard warnings. This is helping in better understanding of atmospheric, geological, and oceanic phenomena.

Observations made by the High Altitude Cloud Physics Laboratory (HACPL) at Mahabaleshwar shall assist in the understanding of the southwest monsoon and its anomalies, and reduce risks to life and property from extreme weather events.

Desalination of oceanic waters is an ideal solution for coastal communities such as in Lakshadweep, that are faced with a shortage of quality drinking water. When designs are simple and innovative, in keeping with local conditions, communities and local authorities can successfully maintain them on handover.

Improved technology to assess and deliver meteorological data to pilots and crew at Indian airports has made take-off and landings of flights risk-free, particularly under conditions of low visibility.

Reduced winter visibility due to fog can be a major deterrent to transport operations. The indigenously developed Drishti-transmissometers installed at Indian airports have successfully managed to overcome this challenge.

The IMD’s agromet services for farmers are proving to be extremely useful to fight the threat of increasingly frequent climate uncertainties, and helping farmers hold out against extreme temperatures that can cause large-scale crop loss.

SAFAR is an indigenous technological initiative by the MoES for India’s urban centres that combines the best of weather and air pollution research to generate air quality forecast leading to preventive action for better health. In its five years of existence, SAFAR has notched up successes that have earned plaudits not only from large section of society but also from the World Meteorological Organisation.

Despite being a late starter, India has achieved a great deal within three decades of cryospheric research. Its stations in the Antarctic, Arctic and the Himalaya have undertaken significant research to unravel the linkages between polar ice sheets, climate change, Himalayan glacial mass and the Indian monsoon.

The Earth Systems Model and the CORDEX programme of Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune are indigenous initiatives that has brought India closer to understanding the change in climate systems over South Asia.

India’s climate services are aimed at effectively conveying information to users in South Asia for informed decision-making to reduce risks from extreme events that are the norm in times of climate change.