X

Climate Change - Extreme Events

By Prof. Somil Swarnkar   |   IISER Bhopal
Learners enrolled: 261
ABOUT THE COURSE:

This proposed Climate Change - Extreme Events course explores the science, impacts, and management of extreme climate events such as heatwaves, floods, droughts, and tropical storms. Students will learn foundational climate science, statistical analysis techniques, and predictive modeling to assess and analyze these events. The course also covers socioeconomic impacts, vulnerability assessment, and adaptation strategies, with a focus on policy responses and resilience-building. Through case studies, data analysis, and project work, students gain practical skills for understanding and managing climate risks, preparing them for roles in climate science, policy, and adaptation planning.

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Master Level or Above Students

PREREQUISITES: Knowledge of Environmental Science, Statistics and Data Analysis

INDUSTRY SUPPORT:
  •  Companies: Geo Climate Risk Solutions (GCRS), Satyukt Analytics Private Limited, Kritsnam Technologies,
  •  Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): Organizations such as The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)
  •  Government Agencies: Departments like the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

Summary
Course Status : Upcoming
Course Type : Elective
Language for course content : English
Duration : 12 weeks
Category :
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Earth Sciences
  • Environment
Credit Points : 3
Level : Postgraduate
Start Date : 21 Jul 2025
End Date : 10 Oct 2025
Enrollment Ends : 28 Jul 2025
Exam Registration Ends : 15 Aug 2025
Exam Date : 26 Oct 2025 IST
NCrF Level   : 4.5 — 8.0

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.


Page Visits



Course layout

Module 1: Foundations of Climate Science and Extreme Events (Weeks 1-2)

Week 1: Foundations of Climate Change and Extreme Events

 • Lecture 1: Climate Science Basics – Weather vs. Climate
 • Lecture 2: Introduction to Climate Change
 • Lecture 3: Introduction to Climate Extremes: Definitions, Types, and Global Impact

Week 2: Types and Characteristics of Extreme Events

 • Lecture 4: Heatwaves and Cold Spells: Causes, Impacts, and Trends
 • Lecture 5: Extreme Precipitation: Floods, Droughts, and Water Cycle Impacts
 • Lecture 6: Tropical Cyclones, Storms, and Associated Weather Events

Module 2: Tools and Techniques for Observing and Measuring Climate Extremes (Weeks 3-4)

Week 3: Observing and Measuring Extreme Events

 • Lecture 7: Climate Data Sources and Observational Tools (satellites, ground stations, remote sensing)
 • Lecture 8: Data Collection and Preprocessing: Handling Gaps, Errors, and Temporal Biases
 • Lecture 9: Introduction to Climate Models: Types, Resolution, and Applications

Week 4: Statistical Foundations for Analyzing Climate Extremes

 • Lecture 10: Probability Distributions and Climate Data Analysis
 • Lecture 11: Introduction to Extreme Value Theory (EVT) and its Applications
 • Lecture 12: Analyzing Frequency and Intensity of Extreme Events

Module 3: Analyzing and Detecting Changes in Climate Extremes (Weeks 5-6)

Week 5: Detecting and Attributing Changes in Extreme Events

 • Lecture 13: Time Series Analysis: Trends, Seasonality, Stationarity and Correlations
 • Lecture 14: Detection of Changes in Extreme Events: Statistical Techniques
 • Lecture 15: Attribution Studies: Linking Extremes to Anthropogenic Climate Change

Week 6: Risk Assessment and Return Period Calculations

 • Lecture 16: Risk Assessment Frameworks for Extreme Events
 • Lecture 17: Calculating Return Periods for Rare Events (e.g., 100-year floods)
 • Lecture 18: Uncertainty Analysis in Climate Projections and Risk Assessments

Module 4: Case Studies and Predictive Modeling for Climate Extremes (Weeks 7-8)

Week 7: Case Studies on Recent Extreme Events

 • Lecture 19: The 2013 Uttarakhand and 2015 South India Floods
 • Lecture 20: The Millennium Drought of Australia
 • Lecture 21: The 2022 Heatwave Across Northern and Central India

Week 8: Predictive Modeling of Extreme Events

 • Lecture 22: Predictive Models for Climate Extremes: Statistical, and Machine Learning
 • Lecture 23: Building and Validating Statistical and ML-Based Models for Prediction
 • Lecture 24: Scenario Analysis and Projecting Future Extremes

Module 5: Socioeconomic Impacts, Vulnerability, and Policy Responses (Weeks 9-10)

Week 9: Socioeconomic Impacts and Vulnerability to Extreme Events

 • Lecture 25: Economic Costs of Extreme Events: Damage and Recovery
 • Lecture 26: Health and Social Impacts of Climate Extremes
 • Lecture 27: Vulnerability and Adaptation in Developing Regions

Week 10: Policy and Governance in Managing Climate Extremes

 • Lecture 28: International Agreements and National Policies on Climate Change
 • Lecture 29: Risk Reduction Strategies and Community Resilience
 • Lecture 30: Adaptation Policies for Climate Extreme Events

Module 6: Emerging Trends, Advanced Applications, and Future Directions (Weeks 11-12)

Week 11: Emerging Trends and Advanced Topics

 • Lecture 31: Advances in Climate Extremes Research and Big Data Applications
 • Lecture 32: Remote Sensing and AI in Detections of Climate Extremes
 • Lecture 33: Role of Ecosystems in Mitigating Climate Extremes (e.g., mangroves for coastal flooding)

Week 12: Synthesis and Future Directions

 • Lecture 34: Review of Statistical and Analytical Methods
 • Lecture 35: Integrated Case Study Project: Analyzing a Recent Extreme Event
 • Lecture 36: Course Wrap-Up and Discussion on Future Research Directions

Books and references

  • "Introduction to Modern Climate Change" by Andrew Dessler 
  • "Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere" by C. Donald Ahrens
  • "Climate Change: The Science of Global Warming and Our Energy Future" by Edmond A. Mathez and Jason E. Smerdon
  • "Practical Time Series Analysis: Prediction with Statistics and Machine Learning" by Aileen Nielsen
  • "A Climate Modelling Primer" by Kendal McGuffie and Ann Henderson-Sellers
  • "Remote Sensing of the Environment: An Earth Resource Perspective" by John R. Jensen "Climate Shock: The Economic Consequences of a Hotter Planet" by Gernot Wagner and Martin L. Weitzman

Instructor bio

Prof. Somil Swarnkar

IISER Bhopal
Dr. Swarnkar obtained his B. Tech degree in Civil Engineering from Uttar Pradesh Technical University in 2012, his M. Tech degree in Civil Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 2014, and his PhD degree in Earth Sciences from IIT Kanpur in 2020. He works in the area of hydrology, and his Ph.D. thesis was on “Sediment Dynamics of the Ganga River Basin”. After completing his Ph.D., Dr. Swarnkar worked as a National Postdoctoral Fellow at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Water Research at the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore.

Dr. Swarnkar joined IISER Bhopal as an Assistant Professor in Earth and Environmental Sciences in July 2022. After joining IISER Bhopal in 2022, Dr. Swarnkar obtained two externally funded projects on analyzing the impacts of climate change and human activities in the Narmada and Ganga basins. These sponsored projects are funded by the Science and Engineering Research Board and the Ministry of Education. As an event organizer, he conducted a SERB Karyashala workshop and shortlisted 25 candidates out of the overwhelming responses of 400 applications received from various Indian academic institutions.

His approach to research has been an amalgamation of theoretical, numerical, and programming methods in the domain of Earth and Environmental Sciences. In recent times, his primary focus has been on understanding the role of human-climate-water interactions on various Indian river basins. He is a passionate teacher and researcher and has distinguished himself in teaching and research amongst his colleagues at IISER Bhopal.

Course certificate

The course is free to enroll and learn from. But if you want a certificate, you have to register and write the proctored exam conducted by us in person at any of the designated exam centres.
The exam is optional for a fee of Rs 1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).
Date and Time of Exams: October 26, 2025 Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm.
Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.
The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published. If there are any changes, it will be mentioned then.
Please check the form for more details on the cities where the exams will be held, the conditions you agree to when you fill the form etc.

CRITERIA TO GET A CERTIFICATE

Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 8 assignments out of the total 12 assignments given in the course.
Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score

Please note that assignments encompass all types (including quizzes, programming tasks, and essay submissions) available in the specific week.

YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75. If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100.

Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup.It will have the logos of NPTEL and IISER Bhopal. It will be e-verifiable at nptel.ac.in/noc.

Only the e-certificate will be made available. Hard copies will not be dispatched.

Once again, thanks for your interest in our online courses and certification. Happy learning.

- NPTEL team


MHRD logo Swayam logo

DOWNLOAD APP

Goto google play store

FOLLOW US