From UAE to Bangladesh: AI weather forecast makes farming easy

Governments in low- and middle-income countries, including Bangladesh, are gaining access to advanced weather prediction tools through a new, first-of-its-kind training programme that uses artificial intelligence (AI).

Launched by Abu Dhabi's Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in partnership with the Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale) and the University of Chicago, the initiative is funded by the UAE Presidential Court's International Affairs Office, reports Gulf News.

It is designed to train officials from national meteorological and hydrological agencies, along with agriculture ministries, to apply AI-based forecasting models tailored to farmers' needs. The aim is to help these countries adopt cutting-edge systems early and develop top-tier forecasting services, once only accessible in regions like the US, EU, or Japan.

The programme comes at a critical time, as climate change fuels more extreme and unpredictable weather patterns that threaten global food security. AI-driven forecasts can provide faster, more affordable, and more precise predictions, especially in areas that previously lacked access to sophisticated modelling.

The first group of trainees—representing Bangladesh, Chile, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria—completed their training last month in the UAE, hosted by MBZUAI and the National Center of Meteorology. Over the coming years, the initiative will expand to 25 additional countries, eventually reaching 30 and supporting millions of farmers.

According to Paul Winters, executive director of AIM for Scale, accurate forecasts can directly improve yields, incomes, and resilience for smallholder farmers. To ensure the technology is practical, the project works with agriculture ministries to align forecasts with farmers' decision-making needs.

Souhaib Ben Taieb, Associate Professor at MBZUAI, explained that the training covers essential aspects such as data handling, model validation, and downscaling, showcasing how frontier AI research can be applied to real-world challenges like food security.

Global experts—including specialists from the World Meteorological Organization, Google DeepMind, Google Research, and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts—are contributing to the effort, aiming to establish a global benchmark for AI-enabled forecasting.

Amir Jina, assistant professor at the University of Chicago and Chair of AIM for Scale's Technical Panel, described the programme as a milestone in making advanced weather prediction universally accessible, allowing developing countries to reach the same forecasting standards as wealthier nations.