FOLLOWING the industrial revolution, where the fusion of our digital, biological and physical realities had the potential to drastically alter every domain of life and reform industries and societies, this is the era when we are about to enter the intelligent age a period that goes much beyond technology and is changing everything instantly. It is possible to improve human potential and elevate humanity through this societal revolution.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a major force in data-driven technologies in the modern era of intelligent age. It can be seen as a computational construct rather than a psychological one, assisted by algorithms, machine learning technigues, and data processing.It has progressed at a rapid pace, having enormous potential to address social, technological and even geopolitical issues.

The latest step ahead is the field of environmental intelligence (EI), which gives AI a potent voice in the environmental arena. EI refers to the application of AI and data science to a wide range of environmental sectors by gathering, analysing and refining information, and understanding the intricacies of ecological systems, along with the social, political and economic factors that influence them.

This allows stakeholders to make informed decisions and take effective action that helps mitigate environmental risks rather than exacerbate climate change or deplete naturalresources.

EI is also a key component of most climate change mitigation measures, which operates in three primary stages.

First, it gathers information from the environment, both in situ and ex situ.

This information may come from sensors or satellite data.

The second phase involves processing the collected data. And, finally, the data is used to tackle a given environmental problem, or help develop a policy across critical sectors.

Alongside, EI can positively contribute to the fight against climate change bydetecting new patterns in environmental data, encouraging consumers to behave in more climate-friendly ways, and increasing awareness about environmental footprint.

Climate-related events, including droughts, heat waves, irregular rainfall patterns, floods and insect infestations, pose a persistent danger to the agriculture sector. Therefore, it is imperative that attention be paid to developing an EI framework for regenerating food and agriculture systems.

Pakistan`s agriculture sector is susceptible to bouts of climatic disaster, ranking it as the eighth most impacted country. With our ever-growing population and the effects ofheat stress on productivity, water availability, and the impact ofincreased droughts andnoods onfood production, there will be a greater threat of hunger and a risk of food insecurity.

As such, through precision farming, smart irrigation, and quality monitoring, this framework will assist farmers in spotting circumstances that result in water stress, weed infestations and nutrient deficits. Moreover, it will support the development of resilient food systems by improving the farms` ability to withstand environmental challenges.

Dr Ainy Zehra Islamabad