Abdulkarim Seid says DIWASA project reached 100,000 water users

Dr. Abdulkarim Seid, the Project Lead for Digital Innovation for Water Secure Africa (DIWASA), has announced that the initiative has reached over 100,000 users, significantly exceeding its initial target of 25,000. Speaking at the Pan-African Symposium on a Digital Water Future in Accra, Dr. Seid detailed how the project leverages data-driven artificial intelligence and earth observation techniques to enhance water management across the continent. The success of the project, facilitated through the Africa Geoportal, underscores the growing demand for digital solutions to address Africa's persistent water and agricultural challenges.

The project focuses on utilizing satellite and drone technology to improve data collection, which is essential for monitoring water use in agriculture. Dr. Seid emphasized that digital innovation is a critical driver for increasing crop yields and ensuring more efficient resource allocation. By addressing existing data gaps, the DIWASA initiative provides stakeholders with the tools necessary to make informed decisions regarding irrigation and infrastructure. However, Dr. Seid also pointed out a significant hurdle: many African countries currently lack the technical capacity to effectively utilize the vast amounts of data being generated.

The symposium also featured contributions from other key figures, including Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, and Professor Ian Overton from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Both speakers echoed the sentiment that water security is fundamental to agricultural success in Africa. They called for improved data integration in policy-making to overcome the scarcity of information that often hinders project design. The event concluded with a collective call for increased investment in digital infrastructure and training to ensure that the benefits of water-related innovations are fully realized across the continent.