Odisha’s average monsoon rainfall rose by 11% from 1981–2010 to 2011–2024, alongside rising heat and climate variability: CEEW’s CRAVIS

Bhubanaswar, 19 August 2026: The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) — a homegrown institution headquartered in New Delhi and one of the world’s leading climate think tanks — today hosted a knowledge-sharing roundtable in Bhubaneswar on “Strengthening Climate Resilience through AI-Driven Climate Decisions and Actions.” CEEW researchers highlighted how India’s 2026 monsoon reflects two contrasting realities. While some states are facing devastating floods, others are struggling with severe rainfall deficits, leaving more than half of the country’s districts short on rain. 

CEEW researchers also demonstrated the Climate Resilience Analytics and Visualisation Intelligence System (cravis.ai), a first-of-its-kind AI-powered climate intelligence platform developed by CEEW. CRAVIS combines over 40 years of historical climate data with projections extending to 2030–2050 and 2051–2070. It enables district-level analysis across 279 indicators under multiple emission and global warming scenarios. It also allows users to overlay climate data with sectoral datasets—such as India’s power infrastructure, agriculture, land use, and public health information and  population for integrated risk analysis. The platform is designed as a collaborative data commons, inviting organisations and partners to contribute datasets and analysis to continuously expand and strengthen its intelligence base.

Odisha is one of India’s most cyclone and flood-prone states. Its long coastline and strong dependence on the monsoon make it particularly vulnerable to heavy rainfall, extreme heat-humidity conditions and prolonged dry conditions. According to CRAVIS.ai, these climate risks are likely to become more pronounced in the coming decades, with increasing greater variation in rainfall across districts and heat exposure. In Odisha, average monsoon rainfall increased from 1,052 mm during 1981–2010 to 1,159 mm during 2011–2024. It is projected to moderately increase to 1,211 mm by 2031–2050 and further to 1,309 mm by 2051–2070. However, due to a changing climate, Odisha’s overall monsoon rainfall may be disrupted; some districts could face erratic monsoon rainfall, while others may continue to receive relatively high amounts of monsoon rainfall, and some can receive relatively stable rainfall compared to the climate baseline.

India is already witnessing rising exposure to heat, with over 57 per cent of districts and nearly 75 per cent of the population facing high to very high heat risk. According to CRAVIS.ai (CEEW), India is projected to experience a substantial increase in extreme heat over the coming decades. During the baseline period 1981–2010, only 15 per cent of districts experienced more than 116 days per year with maximum temperatures exceeding 35°C. This is projected to increase to 46 per cent of districts during 2031–2050 and further to 57 per cent by 2051–2070. Night-time heat is expected to intensify even more rapidly. During the baseline period, only 7 per cent of districts recorded more than 107 days per year with minimum temperatures exceeding 25°C. By 2031–2050, this is projected to rise to 47 per cent of districts and further to 59 per cent by 2051–2070. This change affects human health by preventing the body from cooling down after the sun sets and has implications for labour productivity, infrastructure performance, and economic resilience. 

From the past few years the rise in extreme heat is already evident across Odisha. During the baseline period 1981–2010, 37% of Odisha’s districts experienced 61–80 days per year with maximum temperature above 35°C, while 27% recorded 80–89 days. This exposure is projected to increase substantially. By 2031–2050, 40% of districts are projected to experience 108–121 days above 35°C each year, while another 20% could experience 121–137 days. By 2051–2070, more than half of Odisha’s districts are projected to record 121–137 days of extreme heat annually. Night-time heat is also increasing, making it harder for people to recover from high daytime temperatures. The average number of nights with minimum temperature above 25°C increased from 67 days per year in the baseline period to 71 days during 2011–2024. This is projected to rise sharply to 138 nights per year during 2031–2050 and 146 nights by 2051–2070. The increase is expected across much of the state. In the baseline period, 70% of Odisha’s districts recorded fewer than 76 nights above 25°C per year. By 2031–2050, 37% of districts are projected to experience 136–152 such nights, while another 27% could experience 152–182 nights. By 2051–2070, 43% of districts are projected to experience 152–182 nights above 25°C.

Together, these changes point to a future in which Odisha may face more increasingly uneven rainfall conditions, frequent extreme heat and substantially warmer nights. Such changes could put additional pressure on water resources, agriculture, livestock, public health, and rural livelihoods.

Dr Vishwas Chitale, Fellow, CEEW, said, “CRAVIS can deliver real impact when embedded into local-scale decision-making. It makes complex climate intelligence accessible to policymakers, industrialists, financial experts, journalists, and urban planners. State departments can use city and district-level heat and rainfall indicators to update heat action plans and preparedness strategies; urban local bodies can integrate climate layers into master plans and infrastructure investments; and regulators and utilities can incorporate projections into demand forecasting and resilience planning.”

CRAVIS makes climate data available at district, grid, and state levels across 279 indicators, distilled into over 20 analysis-friendly metrics spanning temperature, precipitation, and humidity, including extreme heat days, heavy rainfall events, drought severity, and longest dry spells. Drawing on authoritative sources such as the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the Forest Survey of India (FSI), IIT Delhi, IITM Pune, and others, the platform is designed to deliver credible, decision-ready climate intelligence at scale. Conceived as a dynamic system, CRAVIS will be updated as underlying datasets are refreshed, ensuring it remains a continuously evolving resource for climate-informed planning in an increasingly uncertain future.