Consortium to Establish Global Water Monitoring Solution

The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded Scottish space technology startup Krucial a contract to develop a smart monitoring solution for global water consumption. 

The announcement came as part of an ESA initiative launched in 2023, Digitizing Water Resilience, which was set up to target water stress and develop innovative solutions to improve global access to fresh water.

Under the contract, Krucial will lead a consortium of companies developing a smart water monitoring and analysis tool and create a database for government entities and businesses to access real-time data and optimize water usage.

The solution will use data from various sources, including in-situ ground sensor data, weather data and space-based data, gathering intelligence on water levels and quality for the Earth’s 100 most populous river basins.

The technology is expected to particularly benefit agriculture, aquaculture and other industries that “rely on water for business operations”, according to a press release.

“This project has the potential to improve the lives of billions of people,” said Allan Cannon, Krucial’s CEO “Using the latest space and analytics technology to benefit water basins across every corner of the globe by enabling data-led interventions and practices,

Related:NASA Satellite Data Helps Bangladeshi Farmers Save Water

“Without access to the insights that our combined solution will provide, it is impossible to take the necessary steps to tackle water stress.”

Other companies in the consortium include data organization SAS, agtech startup Deep Planet, Scotland’s Rural College, a public research institution focused on agriculture and life sciences, and the University of Strathclyde, a Scottish public research university.

“River basins that provide water for billions of people are under the rising threat of increased demand, climate change, pollution and more,” said Jason Mann, vice president of IoT at SAS. “This innovative project from SAS, Krucial and others will leverage AI and advanced analytics to model and analyze data from IoT sensors, weather stations and satellites, 

“Analytical insights on water levels and quality will help local leaders make better decisions on managing vital freshwater resources and ensuring water resilience.”