Google finances East Africa disaster management response

from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – GOOGLE is funding the implementation of a pioneering project towards bolstering disaster preparedness and response capabilities in East Africa.

The figures were not disclosed but the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) for the “Strengthening Early Warning Systems for Anticipatory Actions” initiative aimed at leveraging machine learning to enhance early warning information systems.

At an event late Monday in Nairobi, Kenya ICPAC disclosed reception of support from the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP).

The funding through Google.org is to benefit the Kenya Meteorological Department and Ethiopian Meteorological Institute, aiding in the enhancement of their national and sub-national forecasts.

Google.org brings the best of Google to help solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges. It combines funding, innovation, and technical expertise to support underserved communities.

Dr Guleid Artan, Director of the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, highlighting the combination of expertise in weather forecasting, disaster risk reduction, and technological capabilities.

“The project aspires to revolutionize early warning systems in the IGAD region and enable communities to prepare and act preemptively against impending hazards,” Artan said.

Initially, the project is meant to focus on pilot implementations in Ethiopia and Kenya, with the lessons learned informing the scaling-up of initiatives across the region.

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that vulnerable communities throughout the Horn of Africa region have access to life-saving early warning information and can take timely action in the face of impending disasters.

The region is worst hit by climate change recently, with hundreds of people killed in recent weeks from flooding. This comes months after it emerged from the harshest drought in four decades.

– CAJ News