Giriraj Amarnath
Research Group Leader - Water Data for Climate Resilience / Principal Researcher – Disaster Risk Management and Climate Resilience
Areas of expertise
Drought remote sensing Food security Floods Risks Index-based insurance Data emergency responseGiriraj previously worked at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) to understand disaster risks for mountain ecosystems (2008-2011), and was a Research Associate at the University of Bayreuth, Germany (2006-2008). In 2003, he received a PhD in applied remote sensing and landscape ecology from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). In 2005, he worked as a postdoc at the French Institute of Pondicherry, India, on fire ecology and species niche modeling, and was a faculty member at the University of Bayreuth, Germany, teaching remote sensing for global change ecology.
Current projects
Latest news for Giriraj Amarnath
How Bharat-VISTAAR turns digital infrastructure into real-world decisions for Indian agriculture
Alok Sikka and Giriraj Amarnath reflect on how, through partnerships with institutions like IWMI, Bharat-VISTAAR can evolve from a data platform into a decision-ready public good ...
Do national weather forecasts help farmers make daily decisions?
In Zambia’s Chisamba district, IWMI-trained agriculture officers convert jargon-heavy weather forecasts into practical advice farmers can use to plan crops and manage water ...
IWMI and World Meteorological Organization partner to strengthen climate resilience through data, innovation and early action
The partnership will integrate climate data with water management solutions to help vulnerable communities in Africa and Asia anticipate and respond to extreme weather events ...
COP30 signals a paradigm shift from emissions-only thinking to resilience and water-centered solutions
In Belém, COP30 highlighted critical pathways for countries to advance water centric climate action ...
The climate and humanitarian impact of Sri Lanka’s floods
IWMI’s Giriraj Amarnath spoke to Sami Zeidan Live on Al Jazeera News on December 4, 2025 about the climate and humanitarian impact of the widespread floods in Sri Lanka. Amarnath ...
Cyclone Ditwah’s impact on Sri Lanka
IWMI's Giriraj Amarnath talked to Lewis Vaughan Jones live on BBC News show The Context on November 28, 2025, about the situation in Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah caused widespread ...
IWMI introduces AI tool for climate-smart planning and investments
The Climate Risk Intelligence Assistant makes climate data more accessible, guiding national adaptation and investment decisions ...
Water security for Pakistan’s drought-prone regions
Pakistan and IWMI strengthen drought resilience initiatives through strategic partnership ...
India to get its first AI-based chatbot to tackle drought
SukhaRakshak AI, the drought protector, is to transform the realities of millions of farmers and their communities ...
IWMI and partners are catalyzing climate resilience in India
The recent launch of the CGIAR Climate Action Program in the Indian states of Odisha and Tamil Nadu marks a major step toward integrating science-based climate solutions into state-level planning ...
IWMI pilots index-based flood insurance in Zambia
This groundbreaking approach to insurance can help farmers receive payments faster after disasters and become more climate resilient ...
Sri Lanka is now AWARE
IWMI launches the early warning, early action, early finance platform to pre-empt disaster in Sri Lanka ...
Latest publications by Giriraj Amarnath
Report
CGIAR Climate Action Program in Tamil Nadu, India
International Water Management Institute | February 26th, 2026
Report
Mapping Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) suitability for climate adaptation in Odisha, India
International Water Management Institute | February 25th, 2026
Conference Paper
Strengthening anticipatory action in Sri Lanka through the AWARE Platform: a decision support system for Early Warning, Early Action, and Early Finance
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, Sri Lanka. Climate Resilient Integrated Water Management Project (CRIWPM) | February 19th, 2026
