AI-Enhanced Earth System Modeling for Nature-Based Climate Solutions

Climate change poses escalating challenges across the globe, including intensifying heatwaves, erratic rainfall, and accelerating sea level rise. The land sector plays a pivotal role in both the vulnerability to and mitigation of these impacts: land-use emissions account for about 22% of global greenhouse gases, surpassing those from electricity, transport, or industry. Despite this significance, the responses and feedbacks of large-scale land-use changes associated with nature-based mitigation strategies, such as forestation and bioenergy expansion, remain poorly understood. This PhD project will integrate Earth system models, hydrological models, ecosystem demography models, integrated assessment models, field observations, remote sensing datasets, and modern optimization and ML/AI techniques to evaluate ecosystem services, resilience, robustness, and risks associated with diverse nature-based climate solutions, with the goal of unlocking land-based mitigation potential for climate adaptation, decarbonization, and sustainable development.

The PhD student will join the Climate and Hydrology for Earth and Ecosystem Resilience and Sustainability (CHEERS) group and be supervised by Asst. Prof. Yanyan Cheng (https://dr.ntu.edu.sg/entities/person/Yanyan-Cheng) at the Asian School of the Environment, NTU. The student will receive training in Earth system modeling, hydrological modeling, integrated assessment modeling, optimization and ML/AI techniques, scientific writing, and will have funded opportunities to present their research at international conferences.

We are seeking highly motivated candidates who:

• Hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in hydrology, ecology, engineering, environmental science, atmospheric science, Earth science, social science, geography, mathematics, computer science, economics, or related fields.
• Have familiarity with numerical modeling or ML/AI (advantageous but not required).
• Have strong programming skills (e.g., Python, Fortran).
• Are curious, self-motivated, and enthusiastic about interdisciplinary research at the interface of climate, land, carbon, water, ecosystem, and human systems.

To apply, please send the following documents to [email protected] with the subject line “Prospective PhD student_Your Name”.

• A one-page cover letter discussing your research experience, skills, and motivation to pursue a PhD at ASE/NTU.
• A full CV.
• Academic transcripts for your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees (if applicable).
• Representative publications (if any).
• Contact information for two referees (name, email address, and affiliation).

The student will start as part of the August 2026 intake. For full consideration, please submit your application before 31 January 2026.