Xin ZHOU | IGES

Contact

AI and New Frontier Group
Integrated Sustainability Centre

Director of AI and New Frontier Group

Dr. Xin Zhou is Director of the AI and New Frontier Group at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Japan. She leads interdisciplinary research on artificial intelligence (AI) for sustainability decision support, applying machine learning, geographic information system (GIS) spatial analysis, remote-sensing data analytics, and natural language processing (NLP) to disaster forecasting, neighbourhood-scale risk assessment, resilience planning, climate–health systems, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) interlinkages, and sustainability transition pathways.

With more than 30 years of research and policy experience, Dr. Zhou develops data-driven tools, modelling frameworks, and integrated analytical approaches for climate policy, green transitions, energy systems, and the water–energy–food nexus. She has led the development of widely used tools and frameworks, including the SDG Interlinkages Analysis and Visualisation Tool, the Interactive SDG Tool for River Basins, and the Japan 2050 Low Carbon Navigator, supporting integrated and evidence-based policy planning.

Before joining IGES, she worked at the Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy under China’s State Environmental Protection Administration, now the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, where she led major environmental-policy research initiatives and received national scientific awards.

Research Topics & Areas of Expertise

Artificial intelligence (AI) for sustainability decision support
Machine learning for disaster forecasting, risk assessment, and resilience planning
Geographic information system (GIS) spatial analysis
Remote-sensing data analytics for environmental monitoring and disaster-impact assessment
Natural language processing (NLP) for causal mapping, knowledge extraction, and systems analysis
Network analysis, systems thinking, and integrated systems modelling
AI-enabled knowledge systems, interactive analytics, and decision-support tools
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators, interlinkages, and integrated assessment
Climate-policy assessment, green-economy transitions, and environmental governance
Energy-system scenario modelling and low-carbon transition pathways
Water–food–energy nexus analysis and integrated resource planning
Climate change, disaster risk reduction, and urban resilience
Data integration, environmental information systems, and policy-relevant sustainability science

Education

i) Ph.D in Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Japan;
ii) Master Degree in Environmental Science, College of Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China;
iii) Bachelor Degree in Applied Mathematics, Department of Applied Mathematics and Physics, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China

Publications
Projects

Results 91 to 100 of 198 (Sorted by date)

Research Report

May 2016

Assessment of Climate-Induced Long-term Water Availability in the Ganges River Basin and the Impacts on Energy Security in South Asia: A case study in Nepal

Water and energy are two fundamental elements for achieving sustainable development in South Asia, a region facing many challenges of achieving the sustainable development goals under resource constraints. Water and energy are inherently inter‐dependent which requires a nexus perspective to address their synergy. However, sectoral approaches have...

Research Report

May 2016

Assessment of Climate-Induced Long-term Water Availability in the Ganges River Basin and the Impacts on Energy Security in South Asia: A case study in India

Research Report

May 2016

Assessment of Climate-Induced Long-term Water Availability in the Ganges River Basin and the Impacts on Energy Security in Sourth Asia

Presentation

April 2016

A green input-output model and social accounting matrix: Contributions to the Integrated Green Economy Modelling (IGEM) tool

Technical Workshop on Designing an Integrated Green Economy Modelling (IGEM) Tool for Informing Green Economy Policy Making Processes

Under the Partnership for Action on a Green Economy (PAGE), UNEP collaborated with the modelling experts (including Xin Zhou from the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Roy Boyd from Ohio University, Maria Eugenia Ibarrarán from Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla and Steven Arquitt from the Millennium Institute) to develop an Integrated...

Commissioned Report

March 2016