Google: Cutting Belgium's Agriculture Water Stress with AI

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2022, more than two billion people live in water-stressed countries and at least 1.7 billion people use unsanitary drinking water.

To help reduce and preserve water use, Google is supporting Agua Segura and Agrow Analytics to use AI-powered precision agriculture across Belgium’s farmland.

The aim of the partnership is to reduce water stress, unsustainable irrigation and overuse of fertilizers.

Reducing Belgium’s water use

The Scheldt Basin is a 435 km international river, flowing through Northern France, Western Belgium and the Southwestern Netherlands into the North Sea.

According to Google, the Basin is facing water quality and availability challenges.

Google’s aim is to implement AI-powered agriculture across more than 1,000 hectares of farmland.

Agrow’s technology platform integrates climate, water and soil data, using satellite and thermal imagery.

By using both types of imagery, it allows farmers to receive precise irrigation and fertilization recommendations, allowing more efficient and sustainable use and practice.

According to Agrow, a farmer in one of the basins it works in said  "Before this project, we used to fight over water. Now we plan together." 

Together, this collaboration aims to replenish up to 158 million gallons, 600,000 cubic meters, of water.

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By using AI technology, reduction in annual irrigation demand and fertilizer use can take place across more than 1,000 hectares of farmland.

“Instead of only looking at what AI consumes, I look at what it can optimise,” says Robert Little, Senior Strategy Lead: Sustainability & Sellside at Google, on LinkedIn.

“That is the power of the AI handprint --> turning complex environmental data into practical, farm-level decisions that build watershed resilience.”

How Google uses AI for good

Google is continuously expanding its sustainability efforts through major investments in water stewardship, nature restoration and technology-driven conservation projects, while also supporting food and drink innovation through AI partnerships. 

As rising AI demand increases water use in data centres, Google has committed to replenishing 120% of the freshwater it consumes across its offices and facilities by 2030. 

The company has already replenished more than seven billion gallons of water through 165 projects across 97 watersheds worldwide, with initiatives ranging from peatland restoration in Ireland and river filtration systems in Taiwan to smart irrigation technology in the Colorado River Basin and AI-powered water monitoring in schools in India. 

Beyond water conservation, Google Cloud has partnered with Unilever to build AI-driven systems that could transform how consumers discover and purchase food and drink products, using technologies such as Vertex AI and Gemini to personalise marketing, improve supply chains and support AI-assisted shopping experiences. 

Google and YouTube have also backed global clean water campaigns, including a US$2m contribution to TeamWater alongside creators like MrBeast and Mark Rober, helping fund sustainable water infrastructure projects in communities across Africa, Asia and the Americas.

“Water is an essential resource and Google we are constantly looking for ways to use it more efficiently,” says Michiel Sallaets, Communications Lead EMEA Technical Infrastructure at Google, on LinkedIn.

“We take a site-specific approach to understand the local hydrological environment to find the best and most sustainable cooling solution - using non-potable sources of freshwater and alternatives to freshwater as much as possible - and to make a positive impact. 

“For example, in Saint-Ghislain, Belgium, we use water from the industrial canal for cooling and minimum potable water (for human sanitary use mostly).”

Using sustainable data centres

Google is advancing sustainable data centre operations through a strong commitment to responsible water stewardship and climate-conscious cooling practices. 

Because data centres generate large amounts of heat, cooling systems are essential and Google carefully balances the trade-offs between energy use and water consumption to reduce overall environmental impact. 

The company evaluates each data centre location individually, considering local watershed health, carbon-free energy availability and long-term climate risks before deciding on cooling methods. 

In areas facing high water stress, Google explores alternatives such as air-cooling systems or reclaimed and recycled water to minimise pressure on freshwater supplies. 

To support this approach, Google developed a science-based water risk framework in collaboration with environmental scientists and hydrologists, allowing the company to assess water availability, community needs, infrastructure and climate trends at a hyperlocal level. 

Alongside reducing consumption, Google also aims to replenish more freshwater than it uses across its offices and data centres by 2030, while investing in watershed restoration and ecosystem health projects in the communities where it operates.

Through transparency initiatives, the company publicly reports annual water usage and replenishment efforts, demonstrating its commitment to building more sustainable and environmentally responsible digital infrastructure.