In different parts of the world, communities are experiencing the impacts of climate change. This includes extreme events such as floods and wildfires that cause devastation, as well as challenges related to food security. During the meeting of world leaders in Egypt for COP27, he will focus on how we can work together to address the climate change crisis and implement sustainable solutions. At Google, we are committed to investing in technologies that can help communities in the face of disasters and climate-related threats. Our goal is to prepare people and help them respond effectively to these situations.
Tools to alert people and governments to immediate risks
Given the increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters due to climate changewe are focusing on providing people with reliable information at critical times to keep them safe and inform them properly.
To achieve this, we rely on research and development of our AI-powered technologies, as well as strong partnerships with frontline emergency workers and organizations. Let me show you some of the efforts we’ve made in response to the crisis and how we’re expanding these tools to adapt to changing circumstances.
Floods:
Every year, over 250 million people are affected by catastrophic damage caused by floods. To address this issue, we launched an initiative in 2018 that uses machine learning models to predict and provide detailed alerts on these floods. In 2021, we used Search & Maps to send a total of 115 million flood alerts to more than 23 million people. These alerts played a crucial role in preventing and saving countless lives. Today, we want to let you know that we’ve expanded our flood forecasts for watersheds in 18 additional countries. These countries include areas in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. In addition, we want to inform you about the global launch of the innovative FloodHub, a platform that provides flood forecasts and identifies when and where these events may occur to directly help those at risk. This provides crucial information for aid organizations and governments. Our advances in AI-based flood prediction models have allowed us to expand our geographic coverage. We are committed to continuing to grow and provide our services in more countries.
Forest fires:
Every year, thousands of people are impacted by forest fires, which are occurring more frequently and reaching larger dimensions. My own personal experience made me understand the importance of having accurate information in situations of this type, which motivated us to develop our work focused on responding to the crisis. Through the use of advanced artificial intelligence models based on satellite images, we are able to accurately identify and delimit forest fires, offering real-time results both in the search and on the maps. Since July, we’ve covered more than 30 major wildfires across the United States and Canada. Our work has been instrumental in keeping people and firefighting teams informed. Thanks to our publications, we reached more than 7 million visits in Search and Maps. Today, wildfire detection technology is already available in the United States, Canada, Mexico and parts of Australia. This innovative tool makes it possible to identify and prevent fires in natural areas, providing greater protection to our forests and ecosystems.
Hurricanes:
Having access to official hurricane forecasts and safety information is critical to protecting lives. Before a hurricane in North America or a typhoon in Japan, it’s common to find detailed forecasts from reliable sources in SOS Alerts in Search & Maps. The use of machine learning is also being applied to analyze satellite imagery after natural disasters, helping to more accurately identify areas in need of assistance. During Hurricane Ian’s passage through Florida in September, this technology was used in collaboration with Google.org grantee GiveDirectly to expedite the allocation of aid to those most affected.
Management of current and future climate impacts
Climate change is a problem that jeopardizes natural resources and food security globally. We are collaborating with governments, organizations and communities to provide information and technologies that help address these changes and minimize their negative impacts.
Keep cities greener and healthier:
In cities, it is increasingly common to encounter extreme temperatures and poor air quality, which can have a negative impact on public health. Our Green Light Project uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve traffic light management at intersections around the world. The main objective is to reduce traffic congestion and minimize pollution associated with traffic jams. The Air View project provides detailed air quality maps for scientists, policymakers and communities, allowing them to get a clear view of the situation and make informed decisions. We are committed to expanding the Environmental Insights Explorer Tree Canopy Insights tool to multiple cities before the end of this year. In this way, cities will be able to take advantage of trees as a solution to reduce high temperatures in the streets and improve the quality of life of their inhabitants.
Meeting the growing global demand for food:
Mineral is a project by X, Alphabet’s Moonshot factory, which aims to develop a more sustainable and productive food system. The team is using artificial intelligence in innovative ways to bring together different sets of data, such as information about the soil, the weather, as well as images captured by drones and satellites. Thanks to this, new knowledge can be obtained about what is happening with crops, revealing information that was previously not possible to obtain. Within our Startups For Sustainable Development program, we also support startups that focus on ensuring food security. OKO is a startup that offers agricultural insurance to protect farmers in case of adverse weather conditions. Its impact has reached tens of thousands of farmers in Mali and Uganda, ensuring their business continuity.
Help farmers protect their crops:
Pests pose a major threat to crops as they can completely affect them and negatively impact the livelihoods of millions of people. In partnership with InstaDeep and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Google AI Center team in Ghana is using artificial intelligence (AI) for more accurate detection of locust outbreaks. Implementing control measures more effectively is essential to tackle the problem in agriculture. In India, Google.org colleagues collaborated with Wadhwani AI to develop an AI-powered application that helps detect and treat pest infestations. The initiative managed to reduce the use of spray pesticides by 20% and increase farmers’ profit margins by 26%. Google Cloud is partnering with agricultural technology companies to harness the power of machine learning and cloud services to improve crop productivity. Using these technological tools, better results can be obtained in terms of crop yield and quality.
Analyzing a changing planet:
Thanks to Google Cloud and Google Earth Engine tools, organizations and businesses have the opportunity to more effectively assess and manage climate-related risks. These analytics platforms provide in-depth information that helps you make informed decisions about how to plan for and respond to weather events. A practical application of using these tools is in the US Forest Service, where they are used to analyze land cover change. This allows for a more effective response to new threats from forest fires, as well as monitoring impacts caused by invasive insects, disease and drought. Bank of Montreal is taking steps to integrate weather data into its business strategy and risk management for clients. This includes analyzing precipitation trends and other weather-related factors, which allows for a more complete and accurate picture when making decisions.
Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a crucial role in addressing several pressing challenges related to climate change. It is essential to continue investing in research and raising awareness of why we are doing this work.
Google Arts Culture collaborated with artists to expand their collection. Culture and climate come together to give everyone the opportunity to explore multiple perspectives on climate change. At the Conference of the Parties (COP27), our main objective is to raise awareness and participate in productive discussions on using artificial intelligence, innovations and shared data to support global communities in the fight against climate change.
With information from blog.google