Rija Faniriantsoa

Rija Faniriantsoa is a meteorologist and climate data specialist with over 16 years of professional experience in climate science, climate data analysis, climate information services, and software development. He has served for 11 years as a senior staff associate at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), Columbia University, and five years as an operational meteorologist in Madagascar.

His expertise spans climate data processing, analysis, and visualization, with research interests in climate data quality and management, climate modeling, combining data from multiple sources, and transforming climate data into clear insights and decision-support tools. He has been closely involved in the Enhancing National Climate Services (ENACTS) approach, contributing to the development of software solutions for climate data analysis and visualization, as well as training materials that strengthen the availability, accessibility, and use of climate information.

Rija has been collaborating extensively with National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and Regional Climate Centers (RCCs) across Africa, developing technical tools and capacity-building programs that support the generation, dissemination, and application of climate information for decision-making in agriculture, food security, public health, and disaster risk management.

Rija holds master’s degrees in meteorology and mathematics and combines strong scientific expertise with advanced programming skills to advance climate data access, analysis, and application for resilience and sustainable development.