AWS: Using AI to Protect Water in US, Chile, Brazil & China

Amazon is rolling out six new water replenishment projects across the globe, which it hopes will double its annual water return to 7 billion litres.

The projects in the US, Chile, Brazil and China include its first to be driven by artificial intelligence.

By adding to its portfolio of projects, Amazon Web Services is moving closer to its goal of being water positive by 2030.

Caring – and sharing

Highlights from the new set of projects include:

• AI to help Brazilian farmers protect 200 million litres of water each year
• Water projects restoring important local habitats in California and Ohio
• An Amazon playbook sharing best practices and lessons learned for other organisations to follow.

Kara Hurst, Chief Sustainability Officer, Amazon, said: “Amazon is committed to being a good water steward everywhere it operates.

“Doing our part to help address water scarcity is essential to overcoming health and economic risks for Amazon’s employees, customers, communities and business.”

She added: “One of the ways AWS is innovating to help make a difference is by expanding on its water replenishment programme to more places, which will return over 7 billion litres of water each year once all of the projects are completed.

“We also know we can't solve the water scarcity challenge alone and are sharing our learnings with others to make an even bigger impact.”

Projects under the microscope

AWS has a long history of supporting water replenishment projects.

In 2023, its water replenishment portfolio returned 3.5 billion litres to local communities across 15 projects.

An AWS press release said: “With six new projects announced, a total of 21 projects will return over 7 billion litres of water each year once every project is complete.”

One of the new projects is in the Maipo Basin, which is the largest source of irrigation and potable water for the Metropolitan Santiago and Valparaiso regions of Chile.

Excessive use of the water in the river has contributed to extreme water scarcity.

AWS is partnering with farmers and climate-tech company Kilimo to reduce water use in the basin.

About 67 hectares of agricultural land will be converted from flood to drip irrigation, resulting in an estimated 200 million litres of water savings each year.

Drip irrigation delivers water directly to plants’ root systems through a network of pipes and is considered one of the most efficient water delivery systems for growing crops.

World Water Week

The announcement went live during World Water Week, where Amazon spoke alongside some of the biggest water stewardship and tech organisations in the world, including Water.org, Waterplan, Stroud Water and The Rivers Trust.

The world is facing a growing water crisis driven by climate change, population growth, and economic development, as global freshwater demand is predicted to exceed supply by 40% by 2030 according to the United Nations.

World Water Week is the leading conference on global water issues, held every year since 1991.

It is a non-profit event which seeks to draw in influential speakers and global companies to find solutions to the world’s greatest water-related challenges.

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