China blends religion with AI, launches new weather warning system inspired by sea goddess Mazu
The name Mazu holds deep meaning, especially along China's coast. Known as the protector of fishermen, her temples still stand in Fujian and Taiwan. In 2009, Mazu beliefs were listed as UNESCO cultural heritage.
The initiative is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI. Started in 2013 by President Xi Jinping, it is the world's largest global investment plan. It connects 147 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe.
Built for global use, Mazu aims to support countries by offering early warnings for extreme weather, according to the South China Morning Post. China's weather body, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), is working with nations like Ethiopia and Pakistan to develop these systems together.
Zeng Qin, CMA's director of international cooperation, said, 'Wherever Mazu is seen around the world, it serves as a symbol of our joint response to extreme weather.'
Many countries have strong weather warning systems. In the US, the National Weather Service uses powerful computers and radar to give accurate forecasts, especially for hurricanes. In the US, free weather data is given by the NWS and NOAA.
Japan leads in earthquake and tsunami alerts. The EU's Copernicus programme uses satellites to track environmental changes and predict weather.
However, these systems mostly help their own regions and focus on specific disasters, according to SCMP. They also rely on local supercomputers.
India is using artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve weather forecasting. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) now uses AI for better rainfall and cyclone predictions, heatwave alerts and quick warnings for cloudbursts.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences has set up a special virtual centre at IITM Pune for AI-based research. Under Mission Mausam and WINDS, over 2 lakh weather stations are feeding real-time data to improve local forecasts.
The Central Water Commission is using AI for seven-day flood warnings. AI models are also helping predict monsoons better than older methods.
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