The adverse effects of climate change events like floods and heatwaves are predicted to worsen as global temperatures and emissions are predicted to keep rising. Many villages in India are at risk of such climate-related catastrophes. 

Thus, there is a pressing need to increase climate resilience. This call to action has been answered by innovators in the Asia-Pacific region and India, who have used artificial intelligence (AI) to boost and broaden their impact. 

To aid their growth, Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, supported the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund founded by Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) with the Asian Development Bank as the outreach partner. Google stated that the advancements and impacts that the Indian recipients of this fund have achieved have encouraged them, which include: 

• Villgro Innovation Foundation partnered with CultYvate to provide farmers in Punjab and Kerala with real-time insights and advice for precise irrigation and water management. They deployed an Internet-of-Things-based solution that has not only helped save over 13 million tonnes of water between June 2023 and April 2024 but also mitigated over 3,700 tonnes of carbon emissions from India’s agriculture sector. Villgro also collaborated with AGS Carbon Advisory to integrate carbon credit generation into this project, thereby assisting farmer incomes while incentivizing sustainable practices. 
• Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust developed and tested an AI-enabled approach to help address flooding and water security in India’s urban spaces. The machine-learning model has assisted flood vulnerability mapping in Amalner in Maharashtra. Along with support from local stakeholders and the community, this is helping strengthen urban planning that protects natural drainage systems, mitigating the occurrence and severity of floods while also recharging wells and the groundwater table for the town’s 100,000+ residents. 

In an official statement, Google.org said, “To help sustain such momentum towards a more climate-resilient future, we have supported AVPN APAC Sustainability Seed Fund (SSF) in its second year with a US$5 million Google.org grant alongside Asian Development Bank as the outreach partner.” 

“We’re thrilled that four sustainability-focused organizations based in India have been selected as part of 18 organizations from across the Asia Pacific region to receive support under SSF 2.0,” Google.org stated. 

 The statement added that the India-focused projects aim to leverage AI and data-driven solutions to address critical environmental and social challenges - from water quality and urban heat to lake conservation and sustainable rural development. 

The projects include:

• INREM Foundation is developing an AI-enabled open digital tool to equip communities and villages across India with access to data on water contamination and expertise for local inclusive and sustainable solutions to support safe drinking water and cleaner water bodies. 
• CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) is using machine learning and satellite imagery to help protect lakes and their essential function as carbon sinks by simplifying the process of estimating how much carbon they can absorb, thereby assisting proactive and corrective action by local governments and municipal authorities. 
• Institute for Financial Management and Research (WELL Labs) is developing advanced models that will provide granular insights into water security challenges at the village level, enabling policymakers and stakeholders to make informed decisions that address water scarcity. 
• Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust is developing an AI-powered model to help combat urban heat. The model will identify urban heat islands and suggest targeted gender-inclusive, community-centric solutions like cool roofs and cool routes. 

Source: Google