By supporting four innovative Indian organisations, Google.org and Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) are fostering a new wave of AI-driven environmental solutions that promise to make meaningful impacts in water security, climate resilience, and sustainable urban development across India. These efforts highlight the critical role of technology in addressing the climate crisis and underscore the importance of community-centric approaches to building a more sustainable future.
This initiative follows Google.org's previous USD 3 million grant to APAC Sustainability Seed Fund 1.0, which supported projects saving over 13 million tonnes of water and mitigating 3,700 metric tonnes of carbon emissions in India's agriculture sector.
Four India-based organisations have been selected among 14 other recipients across the Asia Pacific region for grants under the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund 2.0, supported by a USD 5-million grant from Google.org, the tech giant's philanthropic arm. The Indian recipients include INREM Foundation, CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), Institute for Financial Management and Research (WELL Labs), and Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust (MHT), Google.org said in a statement.
The fund, managed by AVPN, aims to foster technology- and AI-driven solutions addressing critical environmental and social challenges.
INREM Foundation will develop AI-enabled open digital solutions for community access to water contamination data. CRDF plans to use machine learning and satellite imagery to protect lakes and their carbon sink function. WELL Labs will develop advanced models for village-level water security insights, while MHT will create an AI-powered model to identify urban heat islands and suggest community-centric solutions, the statement added.
INREM Foundation: AI for water safety
The INREM Foundation, an organisation committed to water quality management and environmental health, will use the grant to develop AI-enabled open digital solutions that enhance community access to data on water contamination. INREM's project will focus on addressing widespread challenges related to drinking water quality, particularly in regions affected by fluoride, arsenic, and other contaminants.
By employing AI, the foundation aims to enable communities to detect and understand water contamination issues more effectively, fostering better-informed decision-making and community-driven solutions to improve public health.
CEPT Research and Development Foundation: Protecting lakes as carbon sinks
CEPT Research and Development Foundation, the research wing of CEPT University in Ahmedabad, plans to use machine learning and satellite imagery to monitor and protect lakes and water bodies that serve as carbon sinks. Their project will develop an innovative platform for real-time analysis of water quality, pollution sources, and carbon sequestration potential of lakes.
By harnessing AI, CRDF aims to support policymakers and environmentalists in preserving these vital ecosystems, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation and enhancing biodiversity in urban and rural areas.
WELL Labs: Advanced water security insights
WELL Labs, a division of the Institute for Financial Management and Research, focuses on developing technological solutions for water management and sustainability. With the Google.org grant, WELL Labs will create advanced models that provide village-level water security insights, incorporating various factors such as rainfall patterns, groundwater levels, and usage rates.
This AI-driven approach will empower local communities, government agencies, and stakeholders with actionable data, enabling proactive measures to ensure sustainable water use and conservation, particularly in water-scarce regions.
Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust: Addressing urban heat islands
The Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust, an organisation dedicated to improving the living conditions of poor urban women, will use AI technology to identify and address urban heat islands—areas that experience higher temperatures due to human activities and infrastructure.
MHT’s AI-powered model will analyse satellite data to map heat islands and develop community-centric solutions, such as increasing green cover and improving housing materials, to mitigate the impacts of rising urban temperatures. This project aligns with MHT’s broader mission to enhance climate resilience among marginalised urban communities, particularly women.
