Smart solar pumps use big data to stop Africa being sucked dry

The pumps’ sensors record real-time data such as energy usage and pump speed in each location, which is then used to calculate groundwater extraction rates and levels

By Nita Bhalla. First published on 17 Dec 2019 on Thomson Reuters Foundation.

NAIROBI, Dec 17 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – High-tech solar pumps mapping underground freshwater reservoirs across Africa are collecting data that can help prevent them running dry, the project’s developers said on Tuesday.

Manufactured by British social enterprise Futurepump, the solar pumps are being used by thousands of small-scale farmers in 15 African nations, including Kenya and Uganda, as a cleaner, cheaper option to diesel and gasoline-powered ones.

The pumps’ sensors record real-time data such as energy usage and pump speed in each location, which is shared with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to calculate groundwater extraction rates and levels.

Continue reading on Thomson Reuters Foundation →

January 17, 2020

Nita Bhalla

South Asia Correspondent
Thomson Reuters Foundation

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Latest news

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •