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In ancient Tamil thought, land was not just a setting for human life but a living companion. Sangam literature used the idea of Thinai to describe an ecological and cultural landscape where people, land, climate, emotions, and livelihoods were seen as one connected system.

Tamil Nadu stands as one of India’s most dynamic states. It is a powerhouse of industry, agriculture, and culture, yet it is also among the most climate-vulnerable. With its vast coastline stretching over 1,076 km, fertile plains, bustling urban centres and concentrated industrial hubs, the state finds itself on the frontline of climate change.

For much of human history, the natural environment was an ever-present force shaping daily life. People lived in close connection with its rhythms and patterns, adapting to seasonal cycles and the landscapes around them. Over time, industrialisation and urbanisation transformed these organic systems into human-made environments, from compact villages to sprawling cities.

We’re living in a time when two powerful forces are reshaping our world, climate change and rapid advances in technology. Faced with rising heat, floods, and extreme weather, governments and businesses are turning to data and artificial intelligence (AI) to find answers. But as these tools begin to shape major decisions, we have to ask: Whose data are we using? Whose voices are being left out? And who gets to decide what counts as a ‘solution’?

In a country where a failed monsoon can tip millions into distress and a single heatwave can bring cities to a standstill, Artificial intelligence (AI) may well be the climate ally India did not know it needed. Imagine if the monsoon had a mind that could be read, predicted, even gently reasoned with. AI may not grant us divine control, but it is beginning to feel like the weather whisperer we never had.

What if you enter a completely empty kitchen one day, with no food in sight and the refrigerator bare? Curious and concerned, you turn on the television to hear alarming news: bees and other pollinators have vanished, and there is a global food crisis. This may sound extreme, but it is a possible reality with the rising temperature, pollution, climate change, habitat depletion, diseases, genetically modified crops and pesticide abuse. 

Imagine a world where your job doesn’t just earn you a pay cheque, but also helps clean the air, reduce waste, and fight climate change. As India commits to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 and scaling up renewable energy, green jobs are emerging as a cornerstone of both economic recovery and environmental responsibility.

This blog was originally published in Citizen Matters on 26th May, 2025.

Climate change is no longer a tale of polar bears and faraway glaciers. It is the heatwave scorching our summers, the flood water rising in our streets, the drying borewells in our villages and the poor quality of air we breathe. Yet for many young minds across India, this urgent crisis remains hidden in the margins of textbooks reduced to a chapter in science or a passing reference in social studies, easily forgotten after the exam.

Globally, urban land consumption is growing at a rate up to 50% faster than population growth, and by 2030, an additional 1.2 million km² of urban built-up area is expected to emerge worldwide.