Dr. Giriraj Amarnath is a Principal Researcher specializing in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Resilience, with a strong focus on floods, droughts, and satellite-based monitoring and early warning systems. His expertise spans areas such as climate risk insurance, big data, and climate and food security.

Previously, Dr. Amarnath worked at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) from 2008 to 2011, where he focused on understanding disaster risks for mountain ecosystems. He also served as a Research Associate at the University of Bayreuth, Germany, from 2006 to 2008. In 2003, he received a Ph.D. in applied remote sensing and landscape ecology from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), part of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). His academic career includes postdoctoral research on fire ecology and species niche modeling at the French Institute of Pondicherry, India, and later, faculty roles at the University of Bayreuth, where he taught remote sensing for global change ecology.

Giriraj currently leads several important projects, including the CGIAR Initiative: Climate Resilience (ClimBeR), Drought Action Catalyst, GeoGoviya, and efforts toward integrated flood and drought management in the Asian monsoon region.

His work aims to enhance climate resilience through data-driven solutions for disaster risk management and climate adaptation.