Training Course on GIS for Climate Modeling and Prediction - GIS Software

Module 1: Introduction to GIS for Climate Modeling

Theory:

Overview of climate modeling and GIS applications.

Types of climate data: observational, satellite, reanalysis, and modeled datasets.

Role of GIS in climate monitoring, analysis, and prediction.

Hands-on: Explore climate datasets and visualize spatial-temporal patterns.

Case Study: Mapping historical temperature and precipitation trends.

Module 2: Climate Data Acquisition and Management

Theory:

Sources of climate data: weather stations, remote sensing, climate models (GCMs, RCMs).

Data formats, temporal resolution, and GIS database management.

Data quality assessment and preprocessing for climate modeling.

Hands-on: Import, clean, and organize climate datasets in GIS.

Case Study: Integrating multi-source climate data for analysis.

Module 3: Spatial Analysis of Climate Variables

Theory:

Mapping and analyzing temperature, rainfall, humidity, and wind patterns.

Interpolation methods: IDW, Kriging, spline for climate data.

Identifying spatial trends, anomalies, and hotspots.

Hands-on: Generate spatial distribution maps for key climate variables.

Case Study: Mapping drought-prone areas using precipitation datasets.

Module 4: Temporal Analysis and Trend Detection

Theory:

Time series analysis for climate data.

Seasonal and interannual variability assessment.

Detecting trends, extremes, and anomalies in climate variables.

Hands-on: Analyze temporal trends using GIS and visualization tools.

Case Study: Assessing long-term rainfall trends in a river basin.

Module 5: Climate Modeling Techniques

Theory:

Overview of climate models: global, regional, and statistical models.

Downscaling techniques and scenario modeling.

Model validation and uncertainty assessment.

Hands-on: Apply simple statistical models for climate prediction.

Case Study: Predicting future temperature and rainfall scenarios using downscaled data.

Module 6: Climate Change Impact Assessment

Theory:

Evaluating climate change impacts on ecosystems, agriculture, water resources, and urban areas.

Vulnerability and sensitivity analysis.

Integration of climate projections into risk assessment.

Hands-on: Generate climate impact maps and vulnerability indices.

Case Study: Assessing agricultural risk due to changing precipitation patterns.

Module 7: Extreme Event Analysis and Hazard Mapping

Theory:

Identifying climate-related hazards: droughts, floods, heatwaves, storms.

GIS methods for hazard mapping and risk assessment.

Early warning and disaster preparedness applications.

Hands-on: Map flood-prone areas and generate hazard layers.

Case Study: Flood risk assessment using historical rainfall and river data.

Module 8: Scenario Modeling and Predictive Analysis

Theory:

Scenario building using climate projections (RCPs, SSPs).

Predictive modeling for resource management and adaptation planning.

Multi-criteria analysis for decision support.

Hands-on: Model future climate scenarios and visualize potential impacts.

Case Study: Predicting water availability under different climate scenarios.

Module 9: Visualization, Dashboards, and Decision Support

Theory:

Creating maps, dashboards, and interactive visualizations for climate data.

Communicating findings to stakeholders and policymakers.

GIS-based decision support for climate adaptation and mitigation planning.

Hands-on: Develop interactive dashboards to monitor climate trends and predictions.

Case Study: Climate monitoring dashboard for regional planners.

Module 10: Capstone Project

Project Examples:

GIS-based climate modeling and prediction for a watershed or agricultural region.

Mapping vulnerability and risk assessment for climate hazards in an urban area.

Integrating climate projections with resource management for policy planning.

Hands-on: Complete end-to-end GIS workflow: data acquisition → analysis → modeling → prediction → visualization → reporting.

Presentation: Demonstrate climate modeling project outcomes, predictions, and recommendations for adaptation strategies.