TL;DR:
- Two Indian non-profit organizations are using AI, ML, and IoT to tackle water scarcity and flooding in India.
- They are among the 13 local sustainability organizations selected for support from the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund.
- Google.org awarded the grant in partnership with the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network.
- Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust aims to create an AI-based model to enhance climate resilience in Amalner, Maharashtra.
- Villgro Innovation Foundation is collaborating with ‘CultYvate’ to design a mobile and browser-based application that will leverage IoT sensors, satellite data, and AI/ML models to help farmers manage irrigation and make informed decisions about water usage.
- These initiatives aim to mitigate the impacts of climate change and build resilience to natural disasters.
- The grant aims to identify new use cases for AI, ML, and IoT models to manage water supply and inundation risks across the country.
- Google India’s Country Head and Vice President warn of severe water-related challenges if global temperatures cross 1.5 degrees Celsius within this decade.
- The efforts of these organizations demonstrate the power of technology in addressing critical sustainability issues.
Main AI News:
Two Indian non-profit organizations, Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust and Villgro Innovation Foundation, have taken up the challenge of tackling water scarcity and flooding in India using cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and the Internet of Things (IoT). Google reports that these organizations were chosen among 13 local sustainability organizations to receive support from the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund, which aims to identify new use cases for AI, ML, and IoT models to manage water supply and inundation risks in the country.
As per Sanjay Gupta, Country Head and Vice President of Google India, the country may face significant water-related challenges due to global temperature rise, which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change expects to cross 1.5 degrees Celsius within this decade. To address this issue, Google.org, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN), awarded a grant to support the efforts of these two organizations.
Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust’s primary objective is to empower and equip women across India with the knowledge and resources needed to build sustainable and gender-inclusive cities. With financial assistance from the grant, the organization plans to develop an AI-based model that will enhance climate resilience in Amalner, Maharashtra.
This model will serve as a blueprint for small urban towns across India, enabling them to mitigate the impacts of climate change and improve resilience to natural disasters. The project’s goal is to pioneer land-use mapping and catchment areas to predict their susceptibility to floods and inundation, contributing to the protection of natural drainage systems.
The grant also supports the Villgro Innovation Foundation’s collaboration with ‘CultYvate’ to design a mobile and browser-based application that will leverage IoT sensors, satellite data, and AI/ML models. This application will provide real-time insights and guidance to farmers in India, assisting them in managing irrigation effectively and making informed decisions about water usage. By using these technologies, the platform aims to enable farmers to adopt more sustainable practices and improve crop yields.
The efforts of these organizations demonstrate the power of technology in addressing critical sustainability issues such as water scarcity and flooding. The Google APAC Sustainability Seed Fund’s support of such initiatives will help create an impact in the lives of many individuals and communities, thereby contributing to a more sustainable future for India.
Conlcusion:
The efforts of Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust and Villgro Innovation Foundation, supported by the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund, demonstrate the growing trend of utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as AI, ML, and IoT to address sustainability challenges in India. The success of these initiatives could set a precedent for other non-profit organizations and businesses to adopt similar technology-driven solutions to tackle environmental issues in the country.
The market for sustainable technology solutions in India is expected to grow as more organizations recognize the potential of these innovations to build resilience to natural disasters, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and foster sustainable practices in agriculture and urban planning. As a result, businesses that offer sustainable technology solutions are likely to see increased demand for their products and services in the Indian market.
