The inaugural function of the Atmospheric Processes and their Role in Climate (APARC) General Assembly 2026 took place today at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune by the Chief Guest, Dr Srinivasa Kumar Tummala (Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt of India) (virtually), Guest of Honor, Ms. Ko Barrett (Deputy Secretary-General of the UN WMO) (virtually), Dr. Hinduma

thi Palanisamy (Scientific Officer, WCRP, WMO), Dr Stephanie Evan (CNRS Research Scientist at The Laboratory of the Atmosphere and Cyclones (Laboratoire de l'Atmosphère et des Cyclones- LACy), Réunion Island, France & APARC Co-chair), Dr. Hella Garny (DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Germany, & APARC LOC International), Dr Suryachandra Rao (Director, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology), and Dr Suvarna Fadnavis (Chair, Scientific Organizing Committee & Project Director CCCR, IITM).

Marking a historic moment, India is taking the lead in hosting this landmark quadrennial event, bringing together world-renowned scientists, researchers, students, and policymakers to discuss breakthrough scientific advances and foster collaborative initiatives in climate and atmospheric sciences.

The five-day assembly (October 12–16, 2026) convenes over 550 participants from across Europe, the Americas, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and beyond. This includes 380 in-person attendees—250 national and 130 international delegates—along with approximately 180 global researchers joining virtually.

Strong Leadership and Keynote Address

The event commenced with an opening keynote address delivered by Dr. Suryachandra A. Rao, Director of IITM, Pune, titled: "Modeling the Monsoon: Avenues for bridging the gap between potential predictability and prediction skill."

Key dignitaries and atmospheric scientists leading the assembly include, Dr. Stephanie Evan, CNRS Scientist, France (APARC Co-Chair), Dr. Olaf Morgenstern, Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Germany (APARC Co-Chair), Dr. Hindhumati Palanisamy, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Geneva, Prof. Paul Kushner, University of Toronto, Canada, Dr. Suryachandra A. Rao, Director, IITM, Pune and Dr. Suvarna Fadnavis, Project Director, Centre for Climate Change Research, IITM

Addressing Critical Themes for Societal Benefit

APARC is a core project of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP). Held once every four years, the General Assembly serves as a global platform to identify emerging research gaps, strengthen scientific partnerships, and develop actionable roadmaps to address pressing climate challenges for societal benefit. The discussions and connections established during the meeting are expected to contribute to future APARC activities and help shape new directions in atmospheric and climate research.

This General Assembly’s scientific programme features 67 oral presentations (including 9 keynotes, 17 invited talks, and 41 contributed talks) alongside more than 400 poster presentations. The assembly is structured around six core themes:

1. High-resolution representation of the climate system
2. Atmospheric composition and its variability in a changing climate
3. Dynamical and thermodynamic fingerprints of climate forcing
4. Circulation, composition, and extreme events in the tropics
5. Climate prediction from subseasonal to decadal timescales
6. APARC science with and for society

Special focus is placed on emerging frontiers, including artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) in climate modeling, atmospheric chemistry, extreme event forecasting, and connecting fundamental climate research with actionable societal applications.

Empowering the Next Generation of Scientists

With over 120 students and 150 Early Career Researchers (ECRs) attending, the conference strongly emphasizes mentorship and networking. The poster sessions and collaborative forums offer early-career scientists’ direct interaction with international leaders, fostering new ideas and global research partnerships that will help guide the future trajectory of atmospheric research.

About APARC & WCRP

Atmospheric Processes and their Role in Climate (APARC) is a core project of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP). It focuses on understanding atmospheric drivers and processes that control weather patterns and global climate dynamics.

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