Tech tool aims to predict global water conflicts before they happen
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Social
The system uses data from NASA and European Space Agency satellites that monitor water resources around the world.
It then analyses the information with data from governments, international bodies and research organizations to identify hotspots of potential conflict.
Artificial intelligence can predict where conflicts over scarce water will break out up to a year in advance and allow action to prevent them, researchers said on Friday.
An early warning tool that tracks water supplies worldwide and mixes in social, economic and demographic data to flag up potential crises is being developed by the Netherlands-based Water, Peace and Security partnership (WPS).
During tests, the system predicted more than three-quarters of water-related conflicts in Mali’s Inner Niger Delta, said WPS, which plans to launch it globally later this year.
“We want to detect conflict early enough...to then engage in a dialogue process that helps to address these conflicts - ideally mitigate them early on or resolve them,” said Susanne Schmeier from the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, which leads the WPS.
Climate change often impacts on water – from driving droughts to sea level rises – which in turn can fuel clashes over diminishing resources and force people to migrate from their home areas.
Previous attempts to predict crises have often failed because the causes of conflict are so varied and can be very locally specific.
The WPS said their tool is a step forward as it draws together advances in remote sensing, machine learning and big data processing to provide alerts that can be acted upon.
The system uses data from NASA and European Space Agency satellites that monitor water resources around the world.
It then analyses the information with data from governments, international bodies and research organizations to identify hotspots of potential conflict.
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Taxonomy
- Water Cooperation & Conflict
- IT
- artificial intelligence