Human-Centered Weather Forecasts

High-quality weather forecasts help vulnerable populations adapt to increased weather uncertainty and extremes. Innovations, especially in AI, are driving a second revolution in weather forecasting. However, the benefits are yet to be realized in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Human-Centered Weather Forecasts (HCF) initiative will bridge this gap, leveraging UChicago’s interdisciplinary strengths as well as the Principal Investigators’ track record engaging policymakers, funders, multilateral development banks, researchers, firms, and NGOs to transform access to this vital climate adaptation tool. HCF will a) develop novel techniques to produce forecasts tailored to the specific adaptation needs of farmers and individuals exposed to extreme heat; b) work with implementers to disseminate forecasts to 100 million people in LMICs; c) conduct rigorous testing to optimize dissemination and generate lessons to further scale these advances; d) strengthen global forecasting systems, including through benchmarking and validation; and (e) work to establish an ongoing initiative.