Climate Modelling: Creating Narratives from Numbers September 2025 Batch
Introduction
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face today, affecting our environment, communities, and future. As engineering students about to enter the professional world, you have an important role in helping to find practical and sustainable solutions.
This two-day workshop is designed to introduce you to the world of climate models — how they work, what they tell us, and why they matter. You’ll explore the science behind climate systems, learn how models are built and used, and discuss their role in shaping decisions about our future. The workshop will also look at the human side of climate modelling — how data becomes part of a story that influences policy and public understanding.
Through hands-on activities, group discussions, and simple modelling-based exercises, students will gain a better understanding of how engineers can contribute to tackling climate change. By the end of the session, you will be more confident in applying climate knowledge to your field and more aware of how technology and teamwork can support a more sustainable world.
Who should attend?
This course is for final-year engineering students who want to understand how things work behind the scenes, connect climate models to the real world, and help derive solutions to real-life challenges. If you’re studying Environmental, Civil, Water Resources, or Computer Science, and others and you’re curious about climate change, data, and making a real impact, this course is for you.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the workshop, participants will:
- Understand climate model types and data structures
- Load and explore GCM/RCM data in Python
- Compare multiple climate scenarios
- Visualise spatial and temporal patterns
- Understand and interpret model uncertainty
- Apply data to basic regional climate analysis
Pedagogy
The course begins with an introductory lecture to explain the basics of climate modelling. Students will then take part in hands-on sessions guided by the instructor, where they work with real climate model data. Group projects will help students explore key topics together, and class discussions will give everyone a chance to share ideas and deepen their understanding.
Structure of the workshop
Duration: 2 Days — 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day
Format: Instructor-led and fully hands-on
Selection process
Interested candidates should complete the online application form, including their basic details and a short statement about what draws them to this workshop and what they hope to learn or apply from it. Applications will be reviewed based on interest, motivation, and alignment with the goals of the workshop. We’re looking for curious minds who are eager to explore climate challenges and contribute to real-world solutions.
Workshop content
Sessions will start at 9:00 am and end at 5:00 pm
DAY 1: GCM Data, Climate Scenarios & Python Setup
| Time | Topic | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 – 9:15 AM | Introduction & Welcome | Welcome, objectives |
| 9:15 – 10:45 AM | Lecture — Climate system & Climate data structures | Part A: Climate system overview (1 hour) a. Components: Atmosphere, oceans, land, cryosphere b. Greenhouse effect, energy balance, feedback in the climate system c. Role of GCMs and RCMs in climate projections Part B: Climate Data Structures (30 min)a. NetCDF format and climate data dimensions b. Variables: tas, pr, etc. c. Coordinate systems, metadata, units d. Demo: Use xarray to inspect a NetCDF file |
| 10:45 – 11:00 AM | Tea break | |
| 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM | Hands-on 1 — Loading and exploring GCM data | a. Load CMIP6 data for SSP2‑4.5 b. Inspect dimensions, units, attributes c. Convert temperature from Kelvin to Celsius d. Plot maps and basic time series |
| 12:30 – 1:30 PM | Lunch break | |
| 1:30 – 3:00 PM | Hands-on 2 — Scenario comparison | a. Load SSP2‑4.5 and SSP5‑8.5 b. Extract data for the period 2050 – 2070 c. Side-by-side spatial plots d. Difference map (SSP5‑8.5 – SSP2‑4.5) e. Time series and anomalies from a baseline (e.g., 1995 – 2014) |
| 3:00 – 4:00 PM | Mini project — Regional scenario analysis | a. Students choose a region and variable b. Extract, analyse, and visualise differences c. Add summary in notebook using markdown |
| 4:00 — 5:00 PM | Discussion and takeaways from Day 1 |
DAY 2: RCM Data, Spatial Resolution & Uncertainty
| Time | Topic | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 – 9:15 AM | Recap of Day 1 | |
| 9:15 – 10:30 AM | Hands-on 3 — Working with RCM data | a. Load CORDEX dataset b. Plot maps and time series c. Compare with GCM for same region d. Highlight resolution differences |
| 10:30 – 10.45 AM | Tea break | |
| 10.45 AM – 12:30 PM | Hands-on 4 — GCM vs RCM comparison | a. Side-by-side maps for one variable b. Time series for same city/region c. Discussion on added value from RCM |
| 12:30 – 1:30 PM | Lunch break | |
| 1:30 – 3:00 PM | Hands-on 5 — Visualising model uncertainty | a. Load outputs from 3 GCMs for the same scenario b. Compute ensembles mean and standard deviation c. Plot mean + uncertainty band (±1 SD) d. Discussion: Types of uncertainty and relevance |
| 3:00 – 4:00 PM | Group projects & Presentations | Presentation of findings to the large group (5 mins each |
| 4:00 – 5:30 PM | Learnings and the way forward | a. Wrap-up and final Q&A Certificates and closure |
Materials Provided
- Slide deck: Climate system & Data structures
- Reference sheet: Python commands (xarray, matplotlib)
- Sample starter notebooks for Day 1 and Day 2
- Sample NetCDF datasets (preloaded)
Final deliverables by participants
Completed Jupyter notebooks with:
- Scenario comparison plots
- GCM vs RCM comparison
- Uncertainty visualisations
- Markdown summaries for each task — a description of the group-based learning
Pre-requisites
- A laptop with Python (Anaconda) installed, along with Jupyter Notebook or VSCode, WinSCP installed
- Pre-installed Python libraries: xarray, matplotlib, numpy, and seaborn, cartopy
- Basic knowledge of Python programming
- A basic interest in climate change science/discussions and related topics
Timelines
Last date to apply: 01 September 2025
Announcement of results: 5 September 2025
Last day for the fee payment: 10 September 2025
The decision of the evaluation committee will be final.
Certificate of participation
The participants will be awarded a certificate of participation after successful completion of the workshop.
Contact us
For any queries, please write to environment.workshop@apu.edu.in
Course Faculty
Fee Structure
| INR 3540 | The course fee does not include accommodation. |
|---|
Refund policy for fee payment
100% Refund: If cancellation is requested at least 10 days before the start date of course.
50% Refund: If cancellation is requested between 5 to 9 days before the start date of course.
No Refund: If cancellation is requested less than 5 days before the start date of course.
Accommodation and other logistics
The course fee does not include accommodation. The university can arrange accommodation at an additional cost.
● For non-shared rooms – Rs. 1180 per day
● For shared rooms – Rs. 590 per day
(All rates are inclusive of GST and relevant taxes.)
Requests for accommodation must be made at the time of application. Alternatively, participants can make their own arrangements.
All other costs, such as travel to and from Bangalore, local travel, stay, breakfast, lunch and dinner must be borne by participants.