From Africa to the World: AI Solutions Lighting the Path to Climate Resilience



In a world grappling with record heatwaves, floods, and droughts, technology is emerging not as a distant luxury but as a vital ally in the fight against climate change. The AI for Climate Action Award celebrates this powerful intersection between human creativity and artificial intelligence, spotlighting innovators using open-source AI to accelerate both climate adaptation and mitigation.

This year’s AI for Climate Action Award 2025, hosted by the UNFCCC Technology Executive Committee (TEC), in partnership with the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)—in collaboration with Brazil and Enterprise Neurosystem—showcased the next generation of climate technology trailblazers.

What made this year’s competition particularly inspiring was the strong showing from Africa. Out of four global finalists, three hailed from the continent:

· Tehila Mwenda (Zambia)
· Careen Joel (Tanzania)
· Hannah Rhodah (Uganda)

Each brought unique ideas harnessing AI to solve local environmental challenges—from sustainable farming and climate-smart communities to early warning systems for extreme weather.

The overall winner, Alisa Luangrath from Lao PDR, captured global attention with SAFIR (Smart AI-based Farming & Irrigation for Resilience)—an AI-powered irrigation monitoring system that helps farmers use water efficiently and adapt to shifting rainfall patterns. SAFIR embodies the promise of AI not just to innovate, but to build resilience where it matters most: in communities on the frontlines of climate change.

Ahead of COP30 in Brazil in a few weeks, where the world (again) races to meet the Paris Agreement targets, initiatives like the AI for Climate Action Award remind us that technology, when guided by purpose and collaboration, can be a force for planetary hope.

Read more about the finalists and their innovations from here

 




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