The Israeli start-up company GEOX has developed technology that can predict floods and build dams, which will protect residents in Ghana from flooding disasters.
The project, worth more than $200 million and funded by the World Bank, uses three-dimensional mapping of routes, areas and buildings, which then helps estimate in advance which areas will be flooded during heavy rain and quickly alerts local residents.
Furthermore, the technology can be used to design a dam system and protect river tides to reduce the risk of floods. Many Ghanans have suffered enormous property damage as a result of repeated floods.
GEOX's mapping is based on work by Ofek Aerial Photography, which is processed and analyzed using AI so that specific predictions about each building can be made – such as whether it will be flooded and to what extent – and warnings can be issued accordingly to residents.
Simultaneously, the technology helps optimal planning of investments in infrastructure and protection systems. This is done by examining scenarios and models of rainwater and its impact on buildings.
"With the help of proper planning based on information, it is possible to provide protection [and] save lives and property from the climate crisis and the rapidly changing world," according to GEOX CEO Itzik Levy. "In addition, we want to provide solutions anywhere in the world for all types of damage as a result of strong winds, fires, earthquakes, etc."
The technology by GEOX, founded in 2018, is currently used by insurance companies, banks and local authorities in Israel, the US, Europe and Australia to perform in-depth analyses of buildings.