By Adrian Flynn
Karman Fellow Priyanka Rajkakati Spearheads Global Flood Warning Initiative Inspired by Space and Art
Like the watercourses she studies, 2021 Karman Fellow Priyanka Rajkakati’s path through the space sector has been dynamic and multidimensional. Her singular journey to fulfill her Karman Commitment exemplifies how The Karman Project uniquely empowers space leaders to transform inspiration into impactful, cooperative initiatives that bring space benefits down to Earth.
Although the first spark for her commitment was ignited during Karman Week 2021 in Dubai, it was at Karman-Oxford Week 2022 that Rajkakati’s vision solidified. While she was there, catastrophic floods struck her home state of Assam, India, and across South Asia, affecting millions and claiming hundreds of lives. Deeply engaged with the Karman Community in Oxford, she saw the potential to combine satellite and terrestrial technologies with artistic outreach to elevate public awareness around flood preparedness. With crucial support from Karman Fellows Davis Cook, Yoav Landsman, and Prateep Basu, and Karman Pioneer Yvette Gonzalez, Rajkakati began shaping the Rivers from Our Veins (RiVeins) initiative, which would become her Karman Commitment.
Blending her scientific expertise with her artistic sensibility through the RiVeins initiative, Rajkakati “aims to demonstrate a cross-disciplinary human-centered approach towards flood mitigation, intersecting the arts and space technologies.” The core of her vision is to link flood early warning systems, both space- and ground-based, with arts-driven outreach to vastly increase community awareness of flood risks, leading to better preparedness and resilience. From early concept sketches in Oxford to field studies in Assam with local collaborators, RiVeins evolved into a coalition-building platform across space, technology, government, and local communities.
It was through this initiative that Rajkakati connected with the hydrological ground-sensor company vorteX-io, which she joined full-time in 2023. There, she began leading the EIC Accelerator-awarded Project WHYLD, a European flood forecasting initiative with pilot projects in France and Croatia. Her goal was to help scale up the company while gaining hands-on experience with early warning technologies.
Today, Project WHYLD has grown from its inception to the development of a real-time large-scale hydrological intelligence system in several countries, with governmental support and a shared aim of helping societies build climate resilience. Just this month, it marked another milestone: the project concluded with a reception at the residence of the French Ambassador to Croatia, with representation from the European Commission, the World Meteorological Organisation, and the Croatian Water Agency, bringing together science, diplomacy, and social impact.
Moreover, CNES (a direct investor in vorteX-io through the SpaceFounders Programme) and ESA are major partners of vorteX-io, supporting the integration of satellite imagery with real-time in-situ measurements to make flood preparedness truly multidimensional. In her role as international business developer, Rajkakati has been expanding many of these projects to South Asia and Oceania, building new pathways for science diplomacy along the way.
True to her dual identity as a scientist and space artist, Rajkakati also created an original artwork depicting a sunrise on the Brahmaputra River in Assam, inspired by Project WHYLD. The piece later found itself a place on the Moon via the LunARC lunar art gallery launched aboard Firefly Blue Ghost I in early 2025, made possible by another connection from Karman-Oxford Week 2022.
Priyanka Rajkakati’s journey is a concrete and vivid illustration of The Karman Project’s mission: to connect visionary leaders in space, enable meaningful collaborations, and champion projects that promote peace, sustainability, and global cooperation.
