60 new countries will have this tool that considerably anticipates the forecast
Google has expanded to 60 more countries, including Spain, its forecast service floods ‘Flood Hub’ through artificial intelligence (AI) that Allows you to make seven-day forecasts.
With the addition of 60 new countries In Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Central and South America, there are already 80 countries with coverage of this service that is accessible to governments, humanitarian aid organizations and residents in those regions who will be able to access critical information a week in advance. , which is a difference of 48 hours more than a year ago.
with this system Google hopes to contribute to people’s safety in view of the increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters due to climate change. Precisely, floods are one of the main climate threats, according to the UN Climate Change Expert Group (IPCC), which indicates that they affect more than 250 million people and cause economic damage of about 10,000 million dollars.
The ‘Flood Hub’ platform exposes the forecast of river floods, indicates where and when rivers will overflow in different areas of the world where a population of about 460 million people lives.
From this new expansion of countries, the platform incorporates some regions of the world with a higher percentage of the population exposed to flood risk, such as the Netherlands, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
Also includes countries with extreme weather events, including Belgium, Spain and Germany in Europeor as the Central American Dry Corridor, which runs through Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala.
Google says it’s working now to expand flood forecast alerts in Finder and Maps over the next 12 months, so users of our products can access this information when they need it most.
Google’s first flood-preparing AI service launched in 2018 in India and Bangladesh to help alleviate the catastrophic effects of annual flooding. In 2022 the alerts were extended to 18 more countries and this Tuesday the service has been extended to reach 80 countries.
Google Floods uses a combination of two modelsa hydrological one, which predicts the volume of water carried by rivers, and another flood model, which calculates which areas may be affected and how high the water can rise.
The tool is part of the objective of the technology company to facilitate crisis response to critical events, not only floods but also forest fires and earthquakes.
For example, to help communities vulnerable to flooding that don’t have direct access to alerts, Google.org partners with organizations like the Indian Red Cross Society and the Yale University Economics for Inclusion teamin the creation of “analog” alert networks made up of volunteers, who are trained and encouraged, and who have a reputation within their communities, with the aim of amplifying the reach of Flood Hub alerts.
According to a recent study by the Yale University team, communities with local volunteers are 50 percent more likely to be warned before floods hit.
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