Ideas worth spreading

Easing water scarcity by understanding when and where it flows

14,760 views |

Kala Fleming |

TED@IBM

• October 2015

The African continent holds more water than much of the world -- yet most people can't access the rich reserves just below their feet. Kala Fleming and her team in Kenya are creating a system-level solution: "digital aquifers." By putting sensors in wells, monitoring the data from the cloud and opening up business opportunity around it, they're helping the continent and the world reach its liquid gold.

The African continent holds more water than much of the world -- yet most people can't access the rich reserves just below their feet. Kala Fleming and her team in Kenya are creating a system-level solution: "digital aquifers." By putting sensors in wells, monitoring the data from the cloud and opening up business opportunity around it, they're helping the continent and the world reach its liquid gold.

About the speaker

Kala Fleming

Kala Fleming

Water mapper

Dr. Kala Fleming, scientist and thought leader on water management, is an advisor for the government and private sector in Africa and SE Asia. Over the last 10 years, she worked with underserved communities in the U.S., Caribbean and West Africa as a consultant providing solutions focused on evolving communities. She leads a team of scientists at IBM Research – Africa on smarter planet solutions for water, agriculture and healthcare.

About TED Institute

Every year, TED works with a group of select companies and foundations to identify internal ideators, inventors, connectors, and creators. Drawing on the same rigorous regimen that has prepared speakers for the TED main stage, TED Institute works closely with each partner, overseeing curation and providing intensive one-on-one talk development to sharpen and fine tune ideas. The culmination is an event produced, recorded, and hosted by TED, generating a growing library of valuable TED Talks that can spur innovation and transform organizations.

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