Climate scientist and IIT Delhi professor Krishna AchutaRao dies at 62

Krishna AchutaRao, a distinguished professor at IIT Delhi and a leading Indian scientist, passed away at the age of 62 on Friday. He had been battling illness for some time prior to his death. AchutaRao was renowned for his expertise in climate risk assessment and attribution science, a discipline that aims to determine the impact of human activities on individual extreme weather events.

He was actively involved in the World Weather Attribution, a global coalition of scientists dedicated to analyzing major extreme weather events worldwide to quantify the extent of human influence on these occurrences. AchutaRao also played a significant role in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a UN-affiliated group of scientists responsible for conducting comprehensive global assessments of climate change.

His dedication to safeguarding marginalized and vulnerable communities from the adverse effects of climate change led him to establish the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change Adaptation at IIT Delhi. AchutaRao championed the interdisciplinary approach to climate science and advocated for bolstering early warning systems across the nation.

Known for his ability to communicate complex scientific concepts in an accessible manner, AchutaRao was a beloved colleague and friend, as highlighted by climate scientist Roxy Koll Mathew, who praised his scientific rigor, meticulous attention to detail, and humorous personality. AchutaRao's wife, Mila Mitra, is an astrophysicist who has collaborated with NASA on numerous space projects and serves as the co-founder and academic head of STEM & Space, an organization focused on promoting science education, particularly space sciences, among schoolchildren.