Bitcoin Global News (BGN)
February 12, 2019 -- ADVFN Crypto NewsWire -- It’s no surprise that
technologies like AI, IoT and blockchain technology are all
emerging together. These technologies work hand in hand to create
incredible beneficial automated networks that have the potential to
bring great improvements to our existing physical infrastructures,
as well as the tasks of our daily life. Water in many places in the
work is a scarce resource.
In California, the Sustainable
Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was launched in 2014 with the
overall goal of a sustainable groundwater system by 2040. The Act
created Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs), which are local
groups responsible for ensuring regional groundwater supplies are
sustainably managed. One of their pilot projects will be using a
blockchain network in combination with IoT technology to develop
the systems for an AI powered, automated, state-wide groundwater
network.
San Joaquin River
Delta
In northern California, the San
Joaquin River Delta covers 1,100 square miles, providing water to
the San Francisco Bay Area and southern California. It supports
regions of protected fish, plant and animal species, but 75% of the
land is used for agriculture. Overall groundwater provides more
than 33% of the water used by Californians in an average year and
more than 50% of the water used by Californians in a drought
year.
In the past, when groundwater has
not been properly managed, it has caused overdraft, failed wells,
deteriorated water quality, environmental damage, and irreversible
land subsidence that damages infrastructure. Most importantly, this
causes lasting damage to the capacity of aquifers to store water
for the future. In order to address use and guidance for
groundwater management, information on the amount of groundwater
extraction, natural and artificial recharge, and groundwater
evaluations are critical.
Blockchain & Satellite
Sensors
The pilot beginning in northern
California was funded by the Water Foundation and the Gordon and
Betty Moore Foundation. The initial system will install a series of
IoT sensors connected to aquifers to measure groundwater usage in
real time. By connecting this data to a blockchain network, the
data provides a fully transparent record of water use. Further, by
essentially “tokenizing” water use, it can be transacted to the
benefit of consumers or farmers who are using less water than the
limits provide.
The sensors are provided by
SweetSense Inc, which is already monitoring groundwater supplies
for over a million people in Kenya and Ethiopia. The blockchain
network receiving the data is built through the IBM Cloud network
and Hyperledger Fabric. The system will allow for water smart
contracts that can be activated through a web-based dashboard for
all water consumers. Any individuals or businesses who want to use
more groundwater than their share cap will be able to "purchase"
groundwater shares from other users connected to the
network.
"Based on a research project in
Kenya with USAID, the Millennium Water Alliance and other partners
we are now applying our expertise in building decision support
systems for water management for surface and groundwater data
aggregation, workflow optimization and analytics to address similar
challenges in California. With the addition of the blockchain we
can bridge critical trust and transparency gaps making it possible
to build a robust, scalable and cost-efficient platform for
managing precious groundwater supplies anywhere in the world." -
Dr. Solomon Assefa, Vice President, Emerging Market Solutions and
Director, IBM Research Africa.
By: BGN Editorial Staff