High-tech solar pumps mapping underground freshwater reservoirs across Africa are collecting data that can help prevent them running dry, project’s developers have said.
Manufactured by British social enterprise Futurepump, the solar pumps are 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.
