Dr. Itesh Dash

Itesh led the design and implementation of extensive climate resilience and disaster risk reduction (DRR) initiatives, incorporating multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS), impact-based forecasting (IBF), and Climate analytics into both national and regional plans. His skills cover comprehensive project development, from feasibility studies and stakeholder involvement to system design, technology integration, and implementation.

He was instrumental in creating prominent platforms like SATARK (Odisha, India), TNSMART (Tamil Nadu, India), and Flood and Flash Flood Guidance Systems across South Asian countries. He also led regional Climate Data Analytics platforms (CDAAS) and agro-meteorological decision support systems (SESAME) to aid governments and development agencies in planning climate-resilient investments. Additionally, he worked on Seasonal and Subseasonal prediction systems (FOCUS) and collaborated with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on the development of the Climate Services Toolkit (CST) to assist National Meteorological Agencies in the region.

Itesh has collaborated closely with UN agencies, the World Bank, national governments, and regional entities like ESCAP, UNDP, FAO, and WFP to ensure climate risk data is transformed into actionable policies and resilience strategies. He worked with ECMWF and UKMET on data access and exchange to enhance services for countries. His international experience spans Asia-Pacific and Africa, having worked in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Maldives, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Comoros, and more.

Key Areas of Focus:
Advancements in Weather Monitoring and Prediction
Adaptive Risk Evaluation
Decision Support Tools Tailored to Users
Solutions Based on Local and Traditional Knowledge
Expandable & Sustainable SaaS and SaaP Solutions

Dr. Dash earned a Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.), specializing in Machine Learning for Seasonal Forecast Improvement, and a Master’s Degree in Engineering (M.Eng.) in Information Communication and Technologies (ICT) from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand.