Google on Monday announced that it has expanded its Flood Hub platform in 80 countries worldwide.
The expansion covers a further eight countries in Africa bringing the total number Google will be able to send flood alerts in the continent to 23.
Google says this expansion comes as part of its AI-enabled efforts to address the devastating impacts of floods and provide critical support to vulnerable communities. The Flood Hub platform now offers forecasts up to 7 days in advance, benefitting a population of 460 million people globally. This expansion extends the reach of Flood Hub’s valuable services to countries such as Brazil, Nigeria, Pakistan and Thailand.
“We recognise the significant impact that floods have on communities worldwide, especially in regions with limited resources and vulnerable populations,” said Yossi Mattias, VP Engineering & Research and Crisis Response Lead. “We are committed to expanding the reach of the Flood Hub platform to support these communities and provide accurate flood forecasting that can help save lives and protect livelihoods.”
The Google Flood Hub platform has been available in several African countries prior to this expansion, including Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, South Africa, and now, with the expansion, it encompasses 60 additional countries. These new countries include Burundi, Eswatini, Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Madagascar, Rwanda, Senegal, and Zimbabwe.
Google has also revealed that it is expanding flood alerts through Search and Maps notifications, ensuring that individuals have convenient access to timely and critical flood information. This expansion it says aims to empower more people to take necessary precautions and safeguard lives and property.
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