Amir Jina

Amir Jina is an Assistant Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, where he has been serving since 2017. He is also a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (2018-present), an EPIC Scholar at the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth at the University of Chicago (2017-present), and a Fellow at the Climate Impact Lab (2014-present). Additionally, he serves as Chair of Technical Panel for Weather at AIM for Scale (2024-present), Co-Director of the Human-Centered Forecasts Initiative (2024-present), and Co-PI of AI for Climate at the University of Chicago (2024-present).

Dr. Jina's educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Sustainable Development from Columbia University in the City of New York (2009-2014)
• M.A. in Climate and Society from Columbia University
• B.A.s in Mathematics and Theoretical Physics from Trinity College, Dublin

Amir Jina's research focuses on the role of the environment in shaping how societies develop, combining economics with methods from climate science and remote sensing to understand the impacts of climate change. His work has involved extensive fieldwork on climate change adaptation with communities in India, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Uganda. As a founding member of the Climate Impact Lab, he researches the socioeconomic impacts of climate change around the world and serves as a scientific advisor to the Innovation Commission on Climate Change, Food Security, and Agriculture—promoting the use of weather services for climate change adaptation in low-income countries.

Jina's scholarly output reveals consistent focus on the intersection of climate science and economics, with particular attention to quantifying the economic damages of climate change, understanding adaptation mechanisms in developing countries, and analyzing the distributional impacts across different populations. His research often employs interdisciplinary methods combining economics, climate science, and remote sensing data to provide rigorous evidence on climate impacts.

Dr. Jina is actively engaged in policy-relevant research and communication. He serves as Co-Director of the Human-Centered Forecasts Initiative and Co-PI of AI for Climate at the University of Chicago, focusing on translating scientific findings into actionable policy insights. His approach emphasizes direct policy impact, and he regularly engages with media and policymakers to communicate climate economics research to broader audiences.

Dr. Jina leads or co-leads several research initiatives including the Climate Impact Lab, the Human-Centered Forecasts Initiative, and AI for Climate at the University of Chicago. His research team conducts fieldwork across multiple continents, particularly focusing on climate adaptation in South and Southeast Asia, with projects in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, and Uganda. The team combines economic analysis with climate science methodologies to produce policy-relevant research on climate impacts and adaptation strategies.