How digital maps help sustainable farming

ABOUT a dozen members of the
Henley Rotary Club attended a talk from a water development charity at the Hart Street Tavern.

Guest speaker Rupert Douglas-Bate gave a presentation on Saturday morning about MapAid, a charity he founded which helps communities in Africa.

Mr Douglas-Bate, from Skirmett, spoke about how the charity uses artificial intelligence to create maps of shallow groundwater availability, focusing on how farmers can be helped to access clean drinking water and irrigation.

The technology allows them to identify the best locations to drill wells, improve food supply and reduce poverty in the region. He said that the maps help non-government organisations, donors and local governments so they can decide on where to invest in water projects.

Mr Douglas-Bate said: “Our vision is to help small farmers. In Ethiopia, the vast majority, about 95 per cent of farmers, are small farmers. That means about 0.8 of a hectare or maybe 1.1 hectare.

“If you give the farmer the water and the ability to look after their land and control of it, then the chances of sustainability are greater.”

Volunteers at MapAid create digital maps to identify areas which require improved access to water. They map data like soil quality, water sources and farming practices, often working remotely to contribute to projects.

Secretary Phil Fletcher said the club has one meeting a month focusing on environmental issues.

Diana Barnett, of the Greener Henley group, was invited to join the meeting by the club. She said: “I am very pleased to have been invited because I thought it was very constructive.

“It had a personal interest for me. I know much more about Ethopia and how hard it is to actually get water for these communities.

“We are so lucky because we don’t really have to think about it, it’s just on tap. It’s so, so important.”