By Nita Bhalla
Nairobi — 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
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.
“We fitted remote monitoring sensors on to our pumps for our own in-house reasons – for looking at their technical performance – and we’ve collected tens of millions of data points,” said Toby Hammond, Futurepump’s managing director.
“So this project is a really exciting opportunity to do something far richer with the data. We want to make it available for the good of the sector – for those advocating solar irrigation and those working to ensure sustainable water use.”
Many of the world’s major aquifers are stressed because too much water is being taken out for household, agricultural and industrial use and not enough surface water is seeping in to replenish the underground rock formations.
While more than 90% of Africa’s agriculture is rain-fed, farmers are facing increasing rainfall variability due to climate change, say environmental experts.
