Predicting worldwide extent of irrigation for agriculture
You can zoom in to any region of interest
Model detected pivot irrigation in the middle of desert
This is a patch of green in Sudan
Note the irrigation canal in the middle
Using satellite, climate and soil data to predict water use for agriculture
Interactive, zoomable maps of worldwide irrigation for agriculture
Measure and protect fresh water, ensure food for people
Satellite data and machine learning models to predict extent
Yes, most of the fresh water we draw goes into growing food. Did you know we need 1 to 3 tons of water to grow a kilo of cereal? Speaking of cereal, we have to double what we grew in 2005 to feed everyone in 2050!
We should start by finding out how much of our cropland is irrigated. We should also know how it's changing over time. We can then detect unsustainable farming, prevent over-drawing of water, and ensure we can grow enough food.
We've used pictures taken from satellites and ground-level climate and soil data to detect irrigated croplands. We've developed a machine learning model for this.
