From March 19-22, more than 180 scholars and experts from Harvard and around the world gathered in New Delhi, India, for one of the largest events Harvard has ever hosted outside the United States. Leading experts in climate science, public health, medicine, labor, business, agriculture, and urban planning convened for “India 2047 – Building a Climate-Resilient Future,” a series of interdisciplinary dialogues on advancing climate resilience.
The four-day convening addressed the effects of extreme climatic events such as extreme heat intensifying across the Global South—particularly in India—with far-reaching impacts on the environment, economy, and society, demanding urgent, evidence-based responses.
“Solutions to climate change require cross-disciplinary collaboration between science, policy, workers, and the private sector. This conference is hopefully the start of a recognition that academic centers have to continue to promote these cross-disciplinary dialogues”, said Satchit Balsari, Associate Professor in Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chair of the Scientific Committee of the convening.
Hosted by the Mittal Institute and the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, the event aimed to:
- deepen understanding of and address the challenges posed by climate change on agriculture in India, with a specific focus on the dynamics of heat and water and their profound impact on food systems
- address essential questions on the impact of heat on health
- discuss the impacts of climate change on work environment and labor productivity
- examine how India’s built environment can be prepared for rising temperatures over the coming decades
The convening consisted of an opening address by senior representatives of Harvard and the Indian government, six plenary sessions, and four parallel thematic tracks. In each of the four parallel tracks, 40-60 scholars and experts discussed climate resilience in relation to climate science and agriculture, health, work, and the built environment.
“We believe this sort of dialogue is a promising way to deliver practical, impactful solutions not only in India but around the world,” said Caroline Buckee, Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health when presenting key learnings at the closing of the four-day event.
Representatives from Harvard included more than 20 faculty and affiliates from across the University, some of whom traveled to Ahmedabad beforehand to learn more about heat adaptation policies and practices in India. The convening also featured a virtual address by President Alan M. Garber, remarks by Vice Provost Prof. James Stock, and keynotes by Prof. Tarun Khanna and Prof. Dan Schrag.
The majority of the attendees were researchers from other universities in the US, South Asia, and Europe, representatives of non-profit, philanthropic, and private sector industries, and representatives of several ministries of the Indian government. This included Kirti Vardhan Singh, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India; Suman Bery, Vice Chairperson of NITI Aayog; and Tarun Kapoor, Adviser to the Prime Minister of India, who spoke at the inaugural session.
A cultural program, which included cultural performances, an exhibition on India’s stepwells by photographer Claudio Cambon, an Indigenous cuisine-inspired dinner, and an Indian classical dance performance, further enriched the experience of the participants.
Check out the photos below – and stay tuned for more outputs from the meeting forthcoming in the months ahead by subscribing to the Mittal Institute’s monthly Climate Digest or weekly newsletter!
Alan M. Garber, President of Harvard University, addressed the gathering through a video message.
From left to right: James H. Stock, Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University, Tarun Khanna, Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor at the Harvard Business School
From left to right: Monika Setia, Tanmay Kumar, Hitesh Hathi
The convening was opened by Kirti Vardhan Singh, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India; Suman Bery, Vice Chairperson of NITI Aayog; Tarun Kapoor, Adviser to the Prime Minister of India; James H. Stock, Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University; and Tarun Khanna, Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor at Harvard Business School and Faculty Director of the Mittal Institute; and Tanmay Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Naresh P. Gangwar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.
On the left: Dan Schrag, Sturgis Hooper Professor of Geology and Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at Harvard University, delivered a keynote address on “The Climate Challenge: What Lies Ahead?” He delved into climate projections, known threats, and India’s role in global solutions, highlighting that India hasn’t warmed as quickly as other regions, but that temperatures will rise faster in the next 20-40 years. On the right: Tarun Khanna, Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor at Harvard Business School and Faculty Director of the Mittal Institute, presented the keynote address on “India’s Leadership in Preparing for Climate Change.”
Plenary 1 discussed the far-reaching implications of climate change on agriculture, water, health, forests, and ecosystems. With: David Battisti (University of Washington), Dr. Vidhya Venugopal (NIHR EC-NCD), Reema Nanavaty (SEWA), Biraj Patnaik (National Foundation for India), and Rahul Mehrotra (Harvard GSD), moderated by Satchit Balsari (Harvard Medical School).
Plenary 2 discussed the role of governance in climate adaptation. Featuring: Smt Leena Nandan (Former Secretary, MoEFCC) and Smt Arti Ahuja (Former Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment), moderated by Smt Sujata Saunik (Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra).
From left to right: Lucas Vargas Zeppetello (University of California, Berkeley), Suruchi Bhadwal (TERI), Sharon Block (Harvard Law School), Satchit Balsari (Harvard Medical School), Rahul Mehrotra (Harvard Graduate School of Design) wrapping up Day 2 of the convening.
Plenary 3 discussed the impact of climate change on monsoons, heatwaves, and agriculture. Featuring: Roxy Koll (Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology), Jane Baldwin (University of California, Irvine), Peter Huybers (Harvard University), Gabe Vecchi (Princeton University), and Rupa Kumar Kolli (Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology), moderated by Dan Schrag (Harvard University).
Clockwise from the top left: Sharon Block, Aditya Valiathan Pillai, Heenaben Dave, Dan Schrag
From left to right: Satchit Balsari, Kaighin McColl, Robert Meade
Plenary 4 discussed approaches to a shared understanding of extreme heat thresholds across disciplines. Featuring: Steven Sherwood (University of New South Wales), Andreas Flouris (University of Thessaly), Akhil Srivastava (India Meteorological Department), Rajan Rawal (CEPT University), Purnima Menon (The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)), moderated by Joy Shumake-Guillemot (WHO/WMO Joint Climate and Health Office.
Impressions from the 14 sessions of the four parallel tracks. The four tracks were Work (top left image), Climate Science and Agriculture (top right image), Built Environment (bottom left image), and Health (bottom right image).
Plenary 5 discussed approaches to adaptation within government, multilateral organizations, and research organizations. Featuring: Siddharth Nadkarny (The World Bank), Arunabha Ghosh (CEEW), Sameer Kwatra (NRDC), Alejandro Saez Reale (Global Heat Health Information Network), Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani (Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications), moderated by Aditya Pillai, Sustainable Futures Collaborative).
The four-day convening concluded on March 22, 2025 with a summary of the discussions and final remarks.
