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In the days leading up to COP27, Google launched a new GPS service called FloodHub. As the risk of extreme weather increases, this platform aims to assist in tracking where and when floods may occur.
COP27 is finally underway in Sharm El Sheikh, and delegates from across the planet have united to come up with bold climate policies… or so we hope.
The initial days are mostly about paying lip service and outlining general pledges to tackle climate change, but the thematic conferences will allow us to dig into the nitty gritty details as of tomorrow.
One topic that will rightly receive a lot of emphasis is adapting developing countries to deal with the impacts of our warming climate.
Earlier today, Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley warned that we could have over a billion climate refugees by 2050 without serious governmental action over the next two weeks.
Many millions of those who will be displaced in the coming years will no doubt be forced to flee by devastating floods like those we witnessed in India last summer.
In order to try and prevent unnecessary death and destruction where possible, Google has launched a new GPS service called FloodHub. This aims to forecast where flooding is likely to occur, giving residents the chance to escape and authorities the heads up to prepare effectively.
This builds on similar work the company has done to provide live information about wildfires, which has been rolled into Google Maps.
Half the world lacks adequate warning systems for natural disasters, a United Nations report found last month, and Google hopes it can fill in some of the gaps.
