S4W

By Saurav Bhattarai and Dr. Rocky Talchabhadel

A research team at Jackson State University (JSU) and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has developed a web-based platform that removes one of the most significant barriers in environmental science education: the need for programming skills, which often limits students and domain experts from accessing planetary-scale environmental datasets.

The GeoClimate Intelligence Platform, developed by Mr. Saurav Bhattarai, a PhD student and ORISE Fellow, under the guidance of Dr. Rocky Talchabhadel (assistant professor at JSU, and vice president of S4W-Nepal) and Dr. Nawa Raj Pradhan (ERDC), addresses a frustration familiar to many aspiring environmental scientists. Mr. Bhattarai noted, “It took almost a year to figure out where to obtain data and how to learn and analyze it. I kept thinking: why should every student go through this same struggle?”

Frustation to Inspiration

What began as frustration soon turned into inspiration. Mr. Bhattarai envisioned a unified platform that streamlines these repetitive challenges—from data discovery to sophisticated statistical analysis— through an intuitive web interface. “With this tool, researchers can focus on their actual research, capstone projects, or analyses instead of dealing with programming obstacles,” he explained. The platform is specifically designed for novices, including those with no programming experience.

The platform’s development was catalyzed by a pivotal two-day Python and Google Earth Engine workshop in May 2025. Despite strong participant motivation, instructors observed students struggling with dependency errors, Python version conflicts, and excessive setup complexity. Post-workshop surveys revealed that 66.7% of participants possessed limited or no Python programming skills, and the technical barriers consumed time that should have been spent on actual analysis.

“We asked ourselves a fundamental question,” Dr. Talchabhadel noted. “What if we could eliminate these barriers entirely?” The team transformed their workshop materials into a programming-free web platform, which has now been published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Environmental Modelling & Software.

Five Powerful Modules, Zero Code Required

The platform comprises five integrated modules working seamlessly together:

1. GeoData Explorer – Provides intuitive access to 50+ climate datasets, with smart export capabilities handling everything from small regional studies to continental-scale analyses
2. Climate Analytics – Calculates over 20 internationally-recognized climate indices used in environmental research, from heat waves to drought events
3. Hydrology Analyzer – Performs statistical precipitation analysis and return period calculations essential for infrastructure design and flood risk assessment
4. Product Selector – Validates gridded climate datasets against ground weather stations, helping researchers choose region-specific most accurate data source 
5. Data Visualizer – Creates interactive visualizations and statistical summaries from all platform modules

The platform has already proven its educational value. When deployed in JSU’s Advanced Water Resources Engineering course, students successfully performed analyses previously considered beyond undergraduate capabilities—from watershed-specific probability distribution fitting to Mann-Kendall trend detection—all without writing a single line of code. “The feedback has been overwhelming,” Mr. Bhattarai shared. “Students who previously thought they needed years of programming training discovered they could conduct continental-scale climate analysis in their first semester.”

Open Access, Global Impact

True to its mission of democratizing environmental data analysis, the platform is completely free and open-source. It requires only a Google Earth Engine account (also free) and operates through any web browser—no software installation, no expensive licenses, no technical prerequisites. The platform is already being used by researchers and students across the globe analyzing a range of topics from urban heat island to drought assessments. “This represents a paradigm shift,” Dr. Pradhan emphasized. “We’re moving from a world where sophisticated environmental analysis requires months of programming training to one where domain expertise and critical thinking are the only prerequisites.”

The platform was developed through support from the U.S. Department of Defense, the ORISE Fellowship Program, and the Hydrological Impacts Computing, Outreach, and Resiliency Partnership (HICORPS) Project—a collaboration between ERDC, WOOLPERT-Taylor Engineering. Additional funding came from the Microsoft-Atlanta University Center Data Science Mini-Grant Program, which advances data science research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Looking Forward

The research team is already working on expanding the platform’s capabilities. Future modules will address air quality monitoring, urban heat island assessment, and ecological habitat analysis. The open-source architecture invites community contributions, ensuring the platform evolves with emerging environmental challenges. “Every environmental science student deserves the opportunity to work with real data,” Mr. Bhattarai concluded. “Programming skills can come later—understanding climate patterns, analyzing drought risks, and thinking critically about environmental challenges shouldn’t wait.”

Access the Platform:

• Web Application: https://geeclimate.streamlit.app/
• Documentation: https://sauravbhattarai19.github.io/geoclimate-landing-page/
• Source Code:https://github.com/SauravBhattarai19/GeoClimate-Fetcher

Research Publication: Bhattarai, S., Pradhan, N.R., & Talchabhadel, R. (2025). GeoClimate intelligence platform: A web-based framework for environmental data analysis. Environmental Modelling & Software, 197, 106826.

Contact: For more information about the GeoClimate Intelligence Platform or collaboration opportunities, contact: saurav.bhattarai.1999@gmail.com

This research was conducted at Jackson State University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory.

By Rohinee Bishwas Mandal and Sangharsh Acharya

In recent years, weather patterns have become increasingly unpredictable. From scorching droughts to sudden cloudbursts, climate change is amplifying both the severity and frequency of natural disasters. This was tragically evident in late September 2024, when devastating floods swept across Nepal. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA, 2024), more than 250 people lost their lives, 18 went missing, and 178 were injured in one of the country’s worst disasters in recent memory. The Roshi River Basin in Kavrepalanchok district was among the hardest hit, as floods and landslides destroyed homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods. These events raise a critical question: could the damage have been lessened if communities had better information and preparation?

​​That’s where the Roshi Flood Monitoring and Risk Assessment Project comes in. Launched under the long-term Real-time Asian Meteorological Observatory (REAMO) initiative, the project is a collaboration between Smartphones For Water Nepal (S4W-Nepal), Utrecht University and SmartPhones4Water to address the critical lack of real-time flood data in the Roshi River Basin. Working closely with local governments, communities, and citizen scientists, the project is building a strong baseline understanding of flood hazards, vulnerabilities, and exposure. This knowledge will help shape effective early warning systems and strengthen disaster preparedness, ensuring the Roshi River Basin is better equipped for future floods. The project is made possible with support from the Utrecht University Fund through its “Passing on” campaign.

In the months following the September 2024 flood, preparations began for an intensive monsoon 2025 field campaign. Young researchers from S4W-Nepal and students from Utrecht University, working alongside local governments and communities, carried out extensive fieldwork to strengthen hydrometeorological monitoring and assess flood risk in the Roshi River Basin. The team installed a hydrological station at Khopasi and set up three Automated Weather Stations (AWS) at the headwaters of Roshi, Nala, and Ryale to record rainfall, temperature, humidity, and soil moisture. Five additional soil moisture sensors were deployed at key sites, a community survey was conducted to assess vulnerability and exposure to floods and landslides, and eight citizen scientists were recruited to contribute daily rainfall measurements. To better understand river dynamics, cross-section surveys were also performed along the Roshi River and its tributaries.

This project goes beyond installing sensors—it is about building a locally driven approach to flood resilience. Real-time data from AWS and hydrological stations will enhance forecasting accuracy, while community surveys reveal who is most at risk and why. Together, these efforts create the foundation for informed decision-making in disaster preparedness and response, helping communities in the Roshi River Basin act quickly and effectively during future extreme events.

Although still in its early stages, the progress so far has laid a strong groundwork. Continuous data collection will help us better understand how the Roshi River system behaves. The next phase will focus on flood modeling, mapping vulnerability and exposure, and designing a community-based early warning system. Moving forward, REAMO’s mission remains clear: to equip local communities with the knowledge, tools, and data they need to navigate an increasingly unpredictable climate.

References:

Government of Nepal, Nepal: 2024 September Floods and Landslides Situation Report #4 as of 16 October 2024 (2024). ReliefWeb. Retrieved July 30, 2025, from https://reliefweb.int/report/nepal/nepal-2024-september-floods-and-landslides-situation-report-4-16-october-2024.