Columbia University Data Science Institute

Data science has a key role to play in climate change. The science, policy, and communication practices around data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence have important implications for the climate crisis and the solutions society will utilize in the future. From machine learning to data visualization, data science techniques are used to study the effects of climate change on marine biology, land use and restoration, food systems, patterns of change in vector borne diseases, and other climate-related issues. Data science is a powerful tool to help researchers understand the uncertainties and ambiguities inherent in data, to identify interventions, strategies, and solutions that realize co-benefits for humanity and the environment, and to evaluate the multiple–and sometimes conflicting–goals of decision-makers.

DSI researchers use the methods and tools of the growing field of data science and apply them to issues relevant to climate change and the environment.