Archive for category: Technology

Information and stories about technology news.

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Tracking Ebola in the DRC With Mobile Phone Data

Ebola in the DRC
On May 15, 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) declared its 17th Ebola outbreak since 1976. Two days later, the World Health Organization (WHO) determined that the Bundibugyo virus outbreak constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. There is no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for this strain.

The virus spread fast. It passed 1,000 confirmed cases within 40 days. The 2018 outbreak in the DRC took about 235 days to reach that mark. As of Sept. 23, the DRC had reported 7,890 confirmed cases and 3,799 deaths across seven provinces, a crude case fatality ratio of 48.1%. For comparison, WHO says past Bundibugyo outbreaks had fatality rates between 30% and 50%. Numbers like these push health workers to find new ways to track Ebola in the DRC before it spreads further.

A Response Under Strain

The response to Ebola in the DRC has struggled to keep up. One month in, Médecins Sans Frontières warned that gaps in testing, contact tracing and community outreach were letting the virus outrun the response. By the two-month mark, confirmed cases had tripled. In just five weeks, they went from around 650 to more than 2,000. Deaths rose even faster, from 130 to over 700 in the same period. Trish Newport of Médecins Sans Frontières said teams were still chasing the outbreak instead of staying ahead of it.

Tracking Movement by Phone

A Swedish nonprofit called Flowminder is trying something different. It works with Vodacom, the DRC’s largest operator, with more than 26 million active subscriptions and nearly 35% of the market. Flowminder studies phone records created when phones connect to cell towers. The data are aggregated and anonymized, so no individual caller is identified. By tracking movement between areas over time, researchers can see where people travel. Linus Bengtsson, founder of Flowminder, told Reuters that knowing how people move offers clues about how infected people might move.

Flowminder published its first report on May 28 and updated it on June 4. Using anonymized Vodacom data, it ranked the health zones receiving the most travelers from Bunia, Mongbwalu and Rwampara, the outbreak’s first hotspots. By June 1, eight of the top 10 recipient zones already had confirmed cases. By the end of June, all 10 did.

The tool does not predict where an infected person will turn up. It flags which areas face a higher risk of importing the virus, so teams know where to look first. Kisangani shows how this works. The major river port does not border the affected areas. Even so, Flowminder’s first report listed it as the top destination in Tshopo province for travelers from the hotspots. Dr. Olivier le Polain, who leads epidemiology and analytics for WHO’s response, told Reuters the data showed significant risk there by mid-June. He said operations were strengthened before the first cases were detected. Those cases were confirmed in early July.

A Heavy Price for Children

Children in affected areas face particular risks. UNICEF estimates nearly 3 million children in affected areas face rising danger. By late June, more than 130 children in Ituri province had already lost a parent to Ebola in the DRC. UNICEF is seeking $70.7 million for its six-month response. As of the appeal, $20 million of that remained unfunded.

A Model Worth Building On

The system has limits. It only captures subscribers on the participating network, so people using other providers stay invisible. So do people who cross into nearby countries. The data are also aggregated and anonymized, which protects privacy but limits detail. That is why mobility data complement epidemiological surveillance rather than replace it. Testing, contact tracing and community work still do the core job. Flowminder and U.N. officials are working to bring other operators on board, which would sharpen the picture.

If that expansion succeeds, the same tool now helping track Ebola in the DRC could become a model for other outbreaks. It would fit anywhere health systems are stretched thin but phones are common. The DRC has faced this virus 17 times since 1976. Mobility data can help responders identify areas at higher risk earlier, complementing testing, contact tracing and community-based surveillance.

– Juan Guillermo Rueda Castrillón

Juan is based in Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain and focuses on Technology and Solutions, and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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10 Ways Smart Cities in India Transform Urban Lives

Smart Cities in India
The country with the largest population in the world, India faces overcrowding and pressure on infrastructure and services in urban areas. However, the government launched the Smart Cities Mission in 2015, which has set up Integrated Control and Command Centers (ICCCs) in more than 100 cities, spearheading a data-driven approach to urban problems. This initiative has aided the urban population by remodeling urban spaces and increasing access to basic services. Here are 10 ways in which smart cities in India transform urban lives.

1. Traffic Management

By integrating data from disparate systems like traffic camera footage and Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, ICCCs manage traffic congestion in real time. In Agra, a densely populated city in India, the incorporation of Adaptive Traffic Control Systems (ATCS) and Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) into its ICCC optimized green light timings, decreasing waiting time on the road.

The data collected through ICCCs has increased the efficiency and reach of public transportation networks. Bus services in both Aurangabad and Surat have grown to cover over 40 routes. Improvements in traffic management and public transport enable urban citizens to commute safely, efficiently and affordably, reducing the stress and hassle of daily travels.

2. Upgrading the Water Supply Network

The World Bank Group estimates that water stress affects around 600 million people in India. However, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems have expanded access to clean water in Smart Cities. These systems, within the cities’ ICCCs, monitor water levels and detect leakages in real time, facilitating effective water distribution. Ahmedabad has produced an additional water supply of more than 50 million liters per day, serving 150,000 more people as of 2023. Through smart technologies, India maximizes the use of its available resources to meet the demands of a large urban population.

3. Self-cleaning Toilets

The number of people practicing open defecation has dropped from 500 million in 2014 to 75 million in 2023, demonstrating an improvement in public hygiene over the years. The installation of self-cleaning toilets equipped with automated flushing and cleaning systems in numerous smart cities in India, including Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Prayagraj, has sanitized public spaces and toilet facilities. Additionally, the construction of smart toilets both generates revenue for local entrepreneurs and increases their involvement in community infrastructure.

4. Converting Waste to Energy

According to the Central Pollution Control Board, from 2021 to 2022, close to half of urban India’s solid waste generated per day was untreated. However, waste-to-energy initiatives have simultaneously tackled solid waste management and boosted energy output. This shrinks the size of landfills, lowering the risk of contaminating the surrounding environment, and adapts to rising demands for electricity in urban areas. Jabalpur’s innovative Waste-to-Energy plant generates electricity by burning solid waste, powering more than 18,000 homes and saving 4.4 hectares of land.

5. Providing Housing

Urban areas in India suffered from a housing shortage of an estimated 1.5 to 2 crore units in 2025. Smart cities in India have been assisting the urban poor through the provision of affordable housing, along with basic amenities. This allowed Surat to build higher quality homes accompanied by sewage treatment and biowaste converter facilities, decreasing the area of slums by 14% from 2002 to 2022.

6. Incubation Centers

Incubation centers support startups involved in emerging technologies like AI and blockchain. Technical and financial assistance, including data sharing and the provision of modern workspaces, equip startups with the tools they need to thrive. These startups have then created more than 1,500 direct and indirect jobs, helping Smart Cities in India keep up with and prosper from new technological developments.

7. Smart Cards

Eighteen Smart Cities have improved their financial services through the implementation of smart cards. This allows citizens to make financial transactions, such as paying their property taxes or bus fares, conveniently and securely.

8. WiFi Hotspots

There has been a rapid increase in Internet access in India, from 15% in 2015 to 70% in 2025. WiFi hotspots in public locations, such as bus stations, hospitals and slum areas, have secured equitable access to the Internet, benefiting low-income households that may not be able to afford mobile data. This enhances digital connectivity and literacy in low-income neighborhoods, narrowing social disparities.

9. Registering Grievances

ICCCs organize service complaints on a digital dashboard, facilitating swift responses. Bengaluru has synthesized its Stakeholder Grievance management system with its ICCC, setting up 24-hour call centers and an online platform and app with chat bot function. These services register and process grievances in real time, alleviating stress.

10. Disaster Management

The installation of flood sensors in Smart Cities like Pune measures water levels, warning authorities of possible flooding and giving them more time to enact preparatory measures. This lessens the impact of flooding events, protecting lives and infrastructure. The 50 flood sensors in Pune facilitated the evacuation of more than 1,000 residents as heavy rain in July 2026 caused the Mutha River to overflow.

Utilizing technology in various ways, Smart Cities in India have adapted to expanding urban populations, striving to provide sufficient housing, clean water and electricity and cultivating safe and hygienic environments.

– Katy Wong

Katy is based in Hong Kong and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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How Brazil’s PIX Is Expanding Financial Inclusion

Financial Inclusion
Launched in November 2020, PIX is Brazil’s instant payment system created and managed by the Central Bank of Brazil. It allows people and businesses to transfer money between accounts within seconds. The system was designed to increase competition, reduce payment costs and make digital transactions more accessible.

PIX has become widely used across Brazil. According to the Central Bank of Brazil, more than 170 million individuals have used PIX as of 2026, representing about 80% of the country’s population. The system processed more than 7 billion transactions in May 2026 alone.

The scale of PIX expands financial inclusion because the cost of making and receiving payments can affect whether people and businesses participate fully in the formal economy. Traditional payment methods can involve fees, intermediaries or physical infrastructure that may be more difficult for small businesses and low-income consumers to access.

PIX serves as an alternative. Individuals generally do not pay fees to send or receive transactions, while businesses may pay transaction fees. Wire transfers, for example, can cost $1.50 to $3 per transaction. Debit or credit card transfers cost 1.1%-2.2% for a business per transaction. PIX transactions cost an average of 0.22% to 0.33% per transaction for businesses.

For Brazil’s small businesses, these lower payment costs are particularly important. Micro and small businesses account for about 95% of businesses in Brazil and face significant barriers to accessing financing. PIX can help address this challenge by making it easier and less expensive for businesses to accept digital payments.

How PIX is Expanding Financial Inclusion

PIX is expanding financial inclusion by making digital payments faster, less expensive and more widely available. These differences matter for people and businesses operating with limited financial resources. When transaction costs are lower, a greater share of a payment remains with the person or business receiving it. For a small business with narrow margins, reducing payment expenses can make digital payments more practical. Lower costs mean businesses retain more while getting access to the formal financial system. By connecting more people to digital financial services, PIX provides an additional tool to manage money and respond to financial challenges.

Supporting Small Businesses

Small businesses are an important part of Brazil’s economy and are particularly relevant to the connection between payment costs and financial inclusion. Research from Innovations for Poverty Action found that 96% of surveyed micro and small business owners used PIX for either business or personal transactions, while nearly half used it daily. Many business owners also reported using PIX for a substantial share of their non-cash business revenue.

PIX can benefit small businesses in several ways. Entrepreneurs can accept digital payments without relying on some of the infrastructure traditionally associated with electronic payments, while funds are transferred rapidly into an account. Combined with lower transaction costs, money that would otherwise go toward payment-related expenses can remain available for inventory, operating costs or other business needs.

PIX can also help businesses establish a digital record of transactions. That record does not automatically provide access to credit, but it can become useful financial information. Businesses using PIX more frequently were significantly more likely to adopt Open Finance. Open Finance allows businesses to securely share financial information across institutions, potentially helping financial providers evaluate their financial activity. The correlation between PIX and Open Finance suggests that greater use of formal digital finance may create additional opportunities for small businesses to access financial services.

PIX and Access to Financial Services

PIX is a payment system, not a complete financial-services platform. Its primary function is to move money quickly between accounts. However, some additional services are official PIX features. PIX Saque allows users to withdraw cash at participating businesses, while PIX Troco allows customers to receive cash as part of a PIX transaction at participating establishments. The Central Bank introduced these services to expand access to cash and reduce some of the costs associated with cash management.

Therefore, PIX can interact with Brazil’s broader digital financial infrastructure. Through Open Finance, individuals and businesses can choose to share financial information with other institutions. This creates a potential pathway from low-cost payments to broader financial inclusion. PIX makes digital transactions easier, while other financial systems can use its information to develop or evaluate additional financial services.

Financial Infrastructure and Poverty Reduction

PIX reduces some of the costs and barriers associated with making and receiving payments. Those changes can be particularly relevant for low-income households and small businesses, which may have fewer financial resources to absorb transaction fees and other costs.

For households, easier and lower-cost digital payments can make everyday financial transactions more accessible. For businesses, immediate payments and lower acceptance costs can improve the efficiency of receiving revenue and managing cash flow. Thus, PIX is expanding financial inclusion. Its potential contribution to poverty reduction comes from underlying improvements in economic participation.

PIX demonstrates how payment infrastructure can become part of a broader strategy for financial inclusion. The system does not eliminate poverty on its own, but by making financial transactions cheaper, faster and more accessible, it can remove some of the barriers that prevent people and businesses from fully participating in the economy.

– Julia M Kozin

Julia is based in Seattle, WA, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions, and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Addressing Common Bean Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa

Common Beans in Sub-Saharan Africa
The common bean is an integral part of Sub-Saharan Africa’s financial and nutritional security. With the continent accounting for 25% of global output, the cash crop provides employment, income and a healthy diet to both urban and rural populations. Devastating viral diseases threatening the crop, however, are increasing in frequency, putting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in peril. Here is how the TumainiBeans app is address common bean disease in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Common Beans in Sub-Saharan Africa

The common bean crop in Sub-Saharan Africa is a vital cash crop for the region. With Africa being the second-largest producer of the crop in the world, it brings in an average $3.84 billion to Sub-Saharan Africa per year. Through cultivation, processing and domestic trade, common beans provide income and employment to rural populations, especially to women involved in the trade. The very production of the crop benefits smallholder farmers, naturally enhancing soil fertility and aligning with crop rotations.

Common beans bring not only economic benefits to Sub-Saharan Africa but also nutritional advantages. The beans provide nutritional security for 420 million people in the region. They are high in protein and nutrients like iron and zinc, and are universally consumed in both rural and urban areas.

Crop Loss

Common beans in Sub-Saharan Africa are highly susceptible to a number of crop diseases that devastate yields and pose serious threats to the income and nutritional security of rural populations reliant on the crop.

A 2025 study published by the scientific review, Viruses, demonstrates a continent-wide upsurge in viral threats to the common bean crop. The two major viruses posing a threat are Bean Common Mosaic Virus and Bean Common Mosaic Necrosis Virus. These two viruses are transmitted by aphids or infected seeds and can reduce crop yields by a devastating 80%. Smallholder farmers find it difficult to prevent viral outbreaks, especially in remote areas, where access to disease identification and outbreak prevention resources is often out of reach due to distance and financial constraints.

The TumainiBeans App

The new TumainiBeans App offers an encouraging solution to common bean disease in Sub-Saharan Africa. In a region where traditional expert methods of disease identification are often geographically and economically inaccessible, the Tumaini app allows farmers to upload an image of any part of an infected bean plant and receive a real-time diagnosis. Independent validation saw the app achieve 90% disease classification accuracy. Downloaded onto a smartphone, the AI app is easy to use and can detect diseases even using poor-quality images. Its AI technology renders disease diagnosis accessible and timely, a crucial element in preventing the spread of viruses.

The TumainiBeans app also provides immediate, context-relevant solutions to a diagnosis, such as assistance on treatment options, advice on healthy farming practices like crop rotations and field sanitation, as well as counsel on the selection of disease-resistant crop varieties.

The technology is still new. While adoption rates, connectivity barriers and the question of whether diagnoses lead to improved yields and increased income at scale remain unknown, the Tumaini App shows potential as a useful decision-support tool for smallholder farmers whose disease-management options may be limited. With the capability to identify the problem and the solution, smallholder farmers could use this tool to protect their crops, income and livelihoods.

– Amelia Krone

Amelia is based in London, UK and focuses on Business and New Markets, Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Rural Senses: AI-Driven Humanitarian Aid

AI-driven humanitarian aidRich countries spent $174.3 billion in overseas development assistance in 2025, but according to Rural Senses, only 20% of aid practitioners had sufficient data to successfully deliver project goals. Here is information about how Rural Senses is promoting AI-driven humanitarian aid.

Impact Measurement

Rural Senses is working to address the aid data sufficiency gap. Its advanced language processing algorithms improve traditional methods of gathering and analyzing qualitative feedback from vulnerable communities. According to the company, its modern impact analysis platform for AI-driven humanitarian aid, Visual Senses, can cut the time it takes to gather and process community data from months to just days, allowing for faster, more insightful and more impactful development responses.

Impact measurement refers to the process of evaluating long-term changes caused by a specific activity. In the context of humanitarian development, it means assessing how an aid program has affected a targeted group of people.

Traditionally, this involves gathering quantifiable statistics and interviewing local populations. The process can be time-consuming and expensive, often requiring skilled experts. Rural Senses claims that its approach to AI-driven humanitarian aid offers a fast-track option that even non-experts can use while reducing costs and speeding up planning and analysis.

A Human-led AI Solution

The company was founded in 2019, emerging from a research project at the University of Cambridge. The aim was to devise a platform that would improve the flow of information between development practitioners and the vulnerable communities with which they work. Over the past few years, the team developed not only a new methodology but also an end-to-end automated process for social and environmental impact measurement and management.

The company describes it as a “human-led” AI platform and emphasizes that the human always remains in control. The AI assists with identifying stakeholders, analyzing and presenting data, gathering related research, translating and transcribing conversations, etc.

Overcoming Bias

The platform is designed specifically for organizations carrying out work in remote, developing communities. Historically, many of these organizations would bring over American researchers and place them in a village with an interpreter to ask questions of local residents. “But there is a lot of bias there,” cautions Chief Executive and Co-Founder Yau Levy, speaking in a company-sponsored webinar.

To overcome this bias, Rural Senses’ AI-driven humanitarian aid platform adopts the User Perceived Value (UPV) methodology. Similar to a traditional needs assessment, which looks at what a community needs, the UPV approach targets what a community values. This gives the local community a more direct voice in expressing their underlying values and should translate into more effective development projects.

A Typical Project

All projects start with human input, usually when a researcher enters into the software platform the basic mission of the project, the targeted stakeholders and activities. After this, AI can begin helping with foundational background research. The system can suggest a list of similar studies and highlight the ways in which they resemble or differ from the current project proposal.

It can also transform obscure local languages into actionable data. One real-world project in 2022 saw the Rural Senses’ AI-driven humanitarian aid platform deployed in a project in Siaya County, Kenya, where most residents speak Dholuo. The AI translated and transcribed questions and responses in Dholuo and English.

The aim of this particular project was to better understand the resilience of local communities to changing weather patterns and gather views on off-grid appliances. According to study details published by The National Center for Biotechnology Information, Rural Senses was commissioned to gather feedback from 300 people across 11 villages. The project used open-ended questions designed to reduce researcher assumptions.

For example, one such question was “In your own words how would you describe climate change?” Wording it in this manner put the power of choice into the hands of the respondents. AI then analyzed recorded interviews and extracted from the comments exactly what it was that people saw as climate change. It also analyzed whether the respondent spoke about this issue negatively or positively. Results were shown in real time as responses were processed. The expectation was that project findings would help Kenyan policymakers to make more informed energy and development programs.

Pivotally, the platform is flexible. As it receives more data, it will suggest changes to strategy or outcomes based on its learnings so far.

Building Trust

Whether it is water security or health care, accurately understanding the values and needs of local communities is pivotal to delivering effective humanitarian aid. Bringing in the power of AI could accelerate efforts on this front, provided it is done in a way that builds trust. While AI has been around for decades, applications remain in their infancy and many organizations remain resistant to adoption.

Levy is confident that keeping the human at the center of AI-driven humanitarian aid is the key. “A system that works with the practitioner and brings out the best of their knowledge will help build trust,” he asserts.

A Growing Reach

Rural Senses’ reach has been growing steadily. It joined the Pears Challenge 2019, a start-up incubator looking at technology solutions for water, sanitation, hygiene and education challenges that refugees and vulnerable populations face. It also participated in the 2020 Microsoft for Startups – Tech for Good “AI for Good” Accelerator program. The client list includes a wide range of players, including the U.K. Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, IKEA Foundation, Amref Health Africa, The Halo Trust, and the Centre for Global Equality. As of September 2026, it has worked in 18 countries, spoken to more than 93,000 people and collected 1.48 million data points.

AI-driven humanitarian aid plays at the intersection of smart technology and vulnerable communities. It promises to dramatically reshape the way aid projects are formulated, conducted and assessed. In theory, optimized development programs increase the impact of any given amount of funding. In practice, more independent assessments of platforms like that from Rural Senses could indeed make that happen.

– Megan Sansom

Megan is based in Edinburgh, Scotland and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Pakistan’s Digital Youth Hub: Connecting Young People to Jobs

Digital Youth HubFor many young Pakistanis, moving from education to employment can be difficult. Nearly 67% of Pakistan’s population is under age 30, creating both an opportunity for economic growth and a need for more education, skills and employment pathways.

An estimated 32 million young people in Pakistan are not in education, employment or training, according to UNICEF Pakistan. The organization has emphasized the need to expand pathways from learning to earning, particularly for girls and young people from underserved communities.

The World Bank has also highlighted the need for Pakistan to expand jobs and economic opportunities, particularly for women and young people, as the country works to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods.

A Digital Solution for Young Job Seekers

The Digital Youth Hub (DYH) is Pakistan’s national digital youth platform developed under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme. The platform brings together opportunities related to education, employment, engagement and the environment.

Young people can use the platform to explore jobs, scholarships, internships, training programs, career guidance and entrepreneurship opportunities. The government describes it as a centralized digital platform designed to connect young people with opportunities based on their skills and interests.

The Digital Youth Hub also supports initiatives under PMYP, including the Prime Minister’s Youth Business and Agriculture Loans, Youth Skill Development Programme and Youth Laptop Scheme.

A Growing Network of Opportunities

The Digital Youth Hub has expanded its reach since its launch. As of June 23, 2026, the platform reported 800,240 registered users, partnerships with 3,163 organizations and 114,783 listed opportunities.

Of those opportunities, 114,374 were employment opportunities, 292 were related to education, 38 to engagement and 79 to the environment.

These figures demonstrate the scale of the platform and the number of opportunities available through it. However, registrations and listings do not mean that users have secured jobs or that the listed positions have been filled.

The platform also uses AI-powered tools to provide personalized recommendations for jobs, scholarships, internships, skills development programs, volunteer initiatives and climate-related projects, according to Pakistan’s Press Information Department. The government presents these tools as a way to help users find opportunities that correspond with their profiles.

Connecting Young People With Employers

The Digital Youth Hub aims to connect young people with organizations offering employment, internships, training and other opportunities. Users can create profiles containing information about their qualifications, skills and interests.

Officials have also described the platform as a way to connect Pakistani workers with international opportunities. When the platform was introduced, officials said it was intended to provide access to opportunities in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, South Korea, Canada and the United States.

These international opportunities are an intended function of the platform, rather than evidence of overseas employment placements. No current figures in the cited sources establish how many users have obtained jobs through the platform internationally.

Partnerships Can Expand Access

A digital employment platform depends on organizations providing genuine opportunities. The government has encouraged educational institutions, private-sector organizations, development partners and other stakeholders to participate in the Digital Youth Hub.

The wider youth-employment effort also includes Pur Azm Pakistan, a separate initiative launched in June 2026 by the Government of Pakistan through the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme in partnership with UNICEF and Generation Unlimited.

Pur Azm Pakistan focuses on expanding access to skills, employment, entrepreneurship and economic opportunities. Its Friends of GenU Pakistan initiative brings businesses together to support skills development, entrepreneurship, innovation and work-based learning.

Keeping these initiatives connected but distinct can help strengthen pathways from education and training to employment.

Access is Only the First Step

The Digital Youth Hub may make it easier for young people to find information about jobs, education and training, particularly for those who have limited professional networks.

However, digital access itself can be a barrier. An online platform can only help people who have the internet access, digital skills and ability to use the available services. In addition, having access to a job listing does not guarantee employment.

Pakistan’s National Youth Employment Policy, which the government discussed in August 2026, identifies 32.4 million young people who are not in employment, education or training and seeks to align young people’s skills with labor-market needs.

Making Employment Opportunities Easier to Find

The Digital Youth Hub addresses one part of Pakistan’s youth-employment challenge: access to information about opportunities.

With more than 800,000 registered users, more than 3,000 partner organizations and more than 114,000 listed opportunities reported in June 2026, the platform has established a significant digital network. However, these figures measure platform use and available opportunities, not employment outcomes.

Its longer-term contribution will depend on the availability of genuine jobs and training opportunities, participation from employers, digital accessibility and whether young people can successfully move from finding opportunities to securing employment.

The Digital Youth Hub could therefore improve access to employment pathways for young Pakistanis, but its contribution to employment and poverty reduction will need to be measured through outcomes beyond registrations and job listings.

– Afia Atif

Afia is based in Chenab Nagar, Pakistan and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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AI in Agriculture: Reducing Undernourishment in India

Undernourishment in IndiaIndia faces one of the world’s most persistent food security challenges. About 9.8% of people in India experienced undernourishment in 2023-2025, while rising food costs continue to push a healthy diet further out of reach for millions of families.

India has fought this crisis since the early 2000s, and the effort shows results: undernourishment fell from 21.1% in 2004-2006 to 9.8% in 2023-2025. Affordability tells a harder story: 520.1 million people, 35.5% of the country, could not afford a healthy diet in 2025, and that diet now costs nearly 48% more than it did in 2017. Better crops, fewer losses and stronger food programs will all be needed to keep that progress going.

Farming and Undernourishment in India

More than half of India’s farmland still depends entirely on rainfall, so a single erratic monsoon, heatwave or drought can devastate a season’s harvest. Decades of policy have rewarded rice and wheat above all else, and that focus has pushed pulses, oilseeds and nutrient-rich millets to the margins while draining groundwater in the northwest. Farmers also lose substantial amounts of food after harvest: a 2022 government-commissioned study estimated losses of 3.89% to 5.92% for cereals, 6.02% to 15.05% for fruits and 4.87% to 11.61% for vegetables. Programs like NFSA, PM-POSHAN, ICDS and Rice Fortification secure calories and micronutrients well, but they still struggle to put protein, dairy and fresh greens on every table.

AI in agriculture is emerging as one answer to these gaps. The World Bank Group’s AgriConnect initiative, which aims to transform farming for 300 million smallholders worldwide, equips farmers with digital tools that work even on basic smartphones and in areas with weak connectivity, and those tools deliver fast, practical advice for managing crops day to day. Farmers who use them can head off pest outbreaks before they spread, time their harvests more precisely and reach government aid programs more easily.

Kerala’s KATHIR Platform

Kerala’s state government built KATHIR together with the World Bank Group, and the platform already holds data on more than 3 million farmers while mapping over 1.1 million hectares of cropland.

The platform packs in a wide range of tools: a 10-day weather forecast, sowing and irrigation advice, fertilizer recommendations, and early alerts for pests, crop stress and extreme weather.

KATHIR operates on two levels at once. Farmers get quick, usable guidance for their own fields, while the state government gains satellite crop tracking, harvest mapping, farmer identification and land enumeration, tools that let officials see exactly where support is needed and act on it.

Maharashtra’s MahaVISTAAR-AI

Maharashtra took a different route with MahaVISTAAR-AI, a generative-AI chatbot that answers farmers through voice or simple text, no typing skills or app literacy required. Farmers have downloaded the tool more than 3 million times, and the Korea World Bank Partnership Facility helped fund its development.

Looking Ahead

The World Bank Group plans to push these platforms well past crop advice. Future versions will help farmers complete official paperwork and connect them directly with banks and other institutions willing to design financial products built around their needs, cutting through bureaucracy that keeps many smallholders locked out of credit.

India’s experiment sits inside a much larger regional push. Google DeepMind built its Agricultural Landscape Understanding (ALU) and Agricultural Monitoring and Event Detection (AMED) models to map field boundaries and track farm activity, and those models played an early role in shaping India’s approach. DeepMind now extends that same support to countries across Asia-Pacific and Africa, work that matters given estimates that global food production must grow by as much as 50% by 2050 to feed 9.7 billion people.

AI in agriculture gives farmers who have long gone without expert support a direct, low-cost line to exactly that. If platforms like KATHIR and MahaVISTAAR-AI keep growing, and if banks and governments build the financial tools the World Bank Group has planned, AI could become an important tool for supporting rural livelihoods and reducing poverty India.

– Juan Guillermo Rueda Castrillón

Juan is based in Barcelona, Spain and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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The Innovative Fight Against Poverty in Papua New Guinea

Poverty in Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea has abundant natural resources, but many people still face barriers to stable employment and economic opportunity. The World Bank reports that the country’s economy grew by 5.6% in 2025, but formal employment per person has declined over time. Many people continue to depend on informal work and subsistence agriculture. Innovations in poverty eradication in Papua New Guinea are creating new opportunities through agriculture, digital technology and renewable energy.

Poverty in Papua New Guinea

Poverty remains a major challenge in Papua New Guinea, especially for people living in rural communities. The World Bank identifies the most recent national household survey, conducted in 2009-10, found that 39.9% of the population lived below the country’s basic-needs poverty line. Papua New Guinea does not have a more recent official national poverty estimate. The World Bank identifies the country’s large rural population, poor connectivity and low levels of human capital as factors that contribute to continued poverty. These challenges are closely connected to employment. The World Bank reports that economic growth has not produced enough secure jobs for Papua New Guinea’s growing workforce. Most new workers have entered subsistence farming and low-productivity informal work rather than secure formal employment.

Agriculture and Poverty Reduction

Agriculture plays a major role in the lives of Papua New Guineans. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, agriculture employs between 6 million and 7 million people in rural Papua New Guinea, with the majority involved in semi-subsistence agriculture. Smallholder farmers also produce between 80% and 90% of the country’s export crops other than oil palm. However, rural farmers have trouble reaching markets, accessing financing and receiving agricultural information. Improving these areas can help farmers increase production and turn agriculture into a more dependable source of income. Investments in infrastructure, technology and agricultural services therefore have the potential to improve livelihoods in communities where farming remains a primary source of income.

Farming and the Digital Age

Digital technology is one of the innovations in poverty eradication in Papua New Guinea helping rural farmers overcome these barriers. In 2023, the EU-funded STREIT PNG Programme provided digital training to 74 lead farmers and agrifood business participants in East Sepik and West Sepik. The training taught participants how to use smartphones, apps, social media marketing and mobile payments. Farmers also learned to access weather and climate information that could help them make decisions about their crops. These skills can help farmers communicate with customers and participate more effectively in agricultural markets. Papua New Guinea expanded its use of agricultural technology again in October 2025 with the launch of its Agriculture Management Information System. The International Telecommunication Union and FAO developed the system through the EU-STREIT PNG Programme. It provides agricultural information that can help farmers and other organizations make decisions based on current data.

Renewable Energy Expands Opportunity

Access to electricity is another major challenge for communities across Papua New Guinea. According to the Asian Development Bank, about 20% of the country’s population has access to electricity. Expanding renewable energy offers one way to provide power to communities that remain difficult to connect to traditional electrical grids. One example is taking place in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. The United Nations Development Programme reports that more than 80% of the region’s population lacks reliable access to energy. The Pacific Green Transformation Project led to the installation of solar panels at the Innovation Hub in Buka. The project, funded by Japan and implemented with UNDP, provides renewable electricity to the Hub, which supports innovation and economic opportunities, particularly for women and young people.

Creating Jobs Through Innovation

Creating employment is an important part of innovations in poverty eradication in Papua New Guinea. In July 2026, the World Bank reported that strengthening major agricultural value chains could generate about 330,000 additional formal jobs during the next decade. The World Bank estimates that this scenario could also reduce poverty by around 5 percentage points, potentially lifting about 500,000 Papua New Guineans out of poverty. Agricultural development could be especially important because it connects economic growth with people living in rural communities. Better infrastructure, technology and market access can help farmers move beyond subsistence farming and earn more reliable incomes.

What Is Ahead

No single project can eliminate poverty, but recent developments show how technology can address several barriers at once. Digital agricultural services can give farmers better information, renewable energy projects can support communities with limited electricity and investment in agriculture could create jobs. These innovations in poverty eradication in Papua New Guinea demonstrate how new technology can support practical improvements in everyday life. Continued investment in agriculture, digital connectivity and renewable energy could give more Papua New Guineans the tools needed to build sustainable livelihoods and strengthen their communities.

– Griffin Blanco

Griffin is based in Knoxville, TN, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Growing Jamaica’s Agricultural Sector Improves Rural Livelihoods

Jamaica’s Agricultural SectorWith one in three respondents suffering from severe food insecurity in Jamaica in the 2023 Caribbean Food Security & Livelihoods Survey, food poverty and agricultural production are pressing issues in Jamaica. The high cost of agricultural inputs further intensifies financial difficulties for Jamaican farmers in rural areas, where income levels are lower. However, the government and international organizations like the U.N. and the World University Service of Canada have contributed to Jamaica’s growing agricultural sector, improving rural livelihoods.

Government Investment

The agricultural industry employs close to one in five Jamaicans. Demonstrating its commitment to improving the livelihoods of agricultural workers, in April 2025, the Jamaican government invested over $4.5 billion through the Rural Economic Development Initiative II (REDI II) Programme, which focuses on strengthening the agricultural and tourism sectors.

The investment involves an upgrade in agricultural infrastructure, including the installation of greenhouses in 22 sites, cold storage facilities and irrigation facilities, making crops more resistant to decay and variations in temperature and rainfall. REDI II also aims to increase farmers’ access to hotel and export markets. As of December 2025, more than 5,000 beneficiaries have received income-generating small grants, while close to 1,000 have received training and agricultural inputs, facilitating higher crop yields and more stable sources of income for Jamaican farmers.

Combating Praedial Larceny

Praedial larceny, the theft of agricultural produce, farming equipment and livestock, has been extremely damaging to Jamaica’s agricultural sector, resulting in losses of millions of dollars per year and reducing investment. Addressing this problem, the government set up the Agricultural Protection Branch within the Jamaica Constabulary Force in June 2025.

This specialized unit provides training in agricultural laws, educating officers in investigating and prosecuting cases of farm theft. Additionally, through gathering intelligence, increasing patrols, and teaching farmers about preventive measures, the unit heightens security on the farm, deterring potential criminals. In the span of a year, reports of theft in Trelawny farming communities dropped to almost zero. Given that praedial larceny threatens local production and supply, the unit’s work is vital in securing the livelihoods of farmers as well as in stabilizing Jamaica’s food supply and agricultural economy, protecting Jamaica’s growing agricultural sector.

UN Project Increases Resilience in Kitson Town

The efforts of international organizations have also been instrumental in Jamaica’s growing agricultural sector. The Improving Rural Livelihoods through Resilient Agrifood Systems project, carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, concluded this March, laying a solid foundation for the continued development of agricultural businesses in Kitson Town, St. Catherine.

Under the project, more than 200 participants received training in protected agriculture (growing crops in a controlled environment), the management of livestock and business skills, while agricultural programs for high school students paved the way for future prosperity in agricultural communities.

Furthermore, the provision of greenhouses and related production inputs such as fertilizers, organic pesticides and pH meters, fortified crop production and farmers’ income sources against unpredictable climatic patterns, enhancing rural livelihoods. The project was particularly empowering for women, who accounted for over 60% of its participants, increasing their independence and contributions to agricultural production.

Helping Farmers Recover from Hurricanes

The World University Service of Canada is committed to consolidating Jamaica’s growing agricultural sector through both short-term and long-term approaches. Due to frequent hurricanes in Jamaica, the organization strives to improve farmers’ abilities to respond to and recover from natural disasters. More than 1,000 farmers acquired agricultural recovery kits, consisting of essential production inputs, facilitating the resumption of agricultural production in the wake of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025.

Regarding long-term measures, the “trade-and-aid” initiative both secures access to export markets and revitalizes potato production in Jamaica through the provision of Canadian agricultural technology, ensuring farmers possess the necessary resources to earn a living. By offering storm-preparedness training and promoting climate-smart agricultural systems, the organization equips vulnerable rural communities with the knowledge and tools to protect their livelihoods against an increasingly volatile climate.

Stronger Agricultural Economy Benefits Jamaican Farmers

These various efforts are continually supporting Jamaica’s growing agricultural sector, enhancing its resilience and improving the lives of Jamaican farmers. The agricultural sector grew by close to 14% in the second quarter of 2025, demonstrating a swift bounce back from Hurricane Beryl, which struck in the summer of 2024. Infrastructure, material aid, education and security measures have made significant progress in increasing production, strengthening income stability and reducing food insecurity.

– Katy Wong

Katy is based in Hong Kong and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Kazakhstan’s Economic Diversification and Technology

Kazakhstan's Economic DiversificationIn an attempt to diversify and expand its economy, improve long-term stability and potentially reduce poverty, Kazakhstan is turning to AI, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Kazakhstan has traditionally relied on fossil fuels, minerals and other raw commodities, leaving its economy vulnerable to fluctuations in global commodity prices. The country’s economic diversification beyond natural resources is therefore critical to achieving long-term economic stability.

Technology is now central to that strategy. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described AI adoption as a “matter of national survival,” arguing that Kazakhstan must remain a key player within the global technological race. The country hopes to have a fully digital economy by 2029. Its ambition is not simply to create a technology sector, but to use technology to create new industries, better-paid employment and a more resilient economy.

Building a Digital Economy

Kazakhstan’s abundance of critical materials and energy resources, combined with its strategic position between Europe and Asia, provides a strong foundation for investment in digital infrastructure and advanced industries. Thirteen international transport corridors cross the country, and around 85% of rail cargo traveling between China and Europe transits through Kazakhstan.

Through economic diversification in the technological sector, Kazakhstan hopes to widen its job diversity, thus opening up greater employment possibilities. International investment is critical to this transition. The Tumar Fund, supported by the World Bank’s Fostering Productive Innovations Project and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, encourages private investment into innovative businesses by matching allocated project funding with private investor contributions. The objective is not simply to finance individual startups, but to encourage an entrepreneurial culture capable of generating businesses and jobs outside traditional industries.

On March 13, 2026, the World Bank approved a $600 million loan to support private-sector-led growth, create better-paid jobs and strengthen economic resilience in Kazakhstan. Andrei Mikhnev, World Bank country manager for Kazakhstan, said that strengthening energy efficiency, expanding renewable energy, advancing digital connectivity and data protection, and improving access to social assistance would help create a “more dynamic, inclusive, and resilient economy.”

Technology and Employment

For technology to reduce poverty, infrastructure must translate into employment and higher incomes. Digital skills are therefore crucial to Kazakhstan’s strategy. According to the World Bank, around two-thirds of Kazakhstan’s population report having basic digital skills, while approximately 41% report intermediate skills.

Crucially, digital skills are associated with higher wages. People with basic digital skills in Kazakhstan earn around 25% more than those without them. Those with intermediate skills earn around 46% more, while workers with advanced digital skills earn around 50% more. Although these figures show an association rather than direct causation, they highlight the potential of digital skills to improve employment and income prospects. This association helps explain why investment in digital skills is an important part of Kazakhstan’s human-capital strategy and may improve access to better-paid work.

E-governance

Digitalization can affect poverty at several levels through creating jobs, improving wages, increasing productivity, and making access to public services more efficient. Kazakhstan’s technological transformation extends to e-governance. According to the country’s Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry, 92% of government services are available online, with 85% accessible through mobile devices. The government is now moving toward an AI-GovTech model, using integrated data analytics to inform and improve policy and public service provision.

By introducing a digital, data-driven employment system that tracks labor trends, maps investment flows, forecasts potential employment and assesses vulnerability, Kazakhstan hopes to spot key areas for development more easily. Digitalization is therefore being used not only to create economic activity but to identify vulnerabilities and reshape the economy itself.

Conclusion

Kazakhstan’s economic diversification is about more than joining the global AI race. It is a broader strategy to reduce dependence on volatile natural resources, modernize the economy, create new opportunities, and support long-term prosperity. In 2025, the economy grew by 6.5% and GDP exceeded $300 billion, according to President Tokayev. Meanwhile, accumulated net foreign direct investment surpassed $150 billion, with significant investment flowing into manufacturing, high-tech industries and deep processing.

Technology alone cannot eradicate poverty. Kazakhstan’s diversification strategy depends also on sustained economic growth, and strategies which ensure the benefits of technological growth reach the wider population.

While Kazakhstan’s economic diversification does not provide a simple blueprint that any other country can copy, its experience does raise a wider global question for other resource-dependent economies. Venezuela, like Kazakhstan, has historically relied on oil, leaving it vulnerable to global price fluctuations. However, technological development could potentially provide a similar route toward diversification for the nation.

– Cecilia Catmur

Cecilia is based in the UK and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay