About IFAD
At the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) we invest in rural people, empowering them to increase their food security, improve the nutrition of their families and increase their incomes. We help them build resilience, expand their businesses and take charge of their own development.Activities by IFAD
Flash Flood Early Warning System (FFEWS)
Asia and the Pacific Bangladesh
The Flash Flood Early Warning System (FFEWS) was developed under the Haor Infrastructure and Livelihood Improvement Project / Climate Adaptation and Livelihood Protection (HILIP/CALIP) project and further scaled under Promoting Resilience of Vulnerable through Access to Infrastructure, Improved Skills, and Information Project (PROVATi3) projects. These projects in Bangladesh funded by IFAD represent an important application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and particularly Machine Learning (ML) models for climate resilience and disaster risk management. The system combines machine-learning-enhanced hydrological and hydrodynamic models with real-time environmental monitoring to improve the prediction of flash floods and flood inundation in some of Bangladesh’s most climate-vulnerable regions.
The solution also incorporates IoT-style monitoring infrastructure and multi-channel dissemination systems, including SMS alerts, voice messaging, mobile applications, digital display boards, and social media platforms. Through this integrated approach, the system generates near real-time flood forecasts and location-specific warnings that support community preparedness, disaster response, and protection of livelihoods. The initiative demonstrates how AI-enabled predictive analytics and geospatial technologies can strengthen climate adaptation and anticipatory action for vulnerable rural communities.
Solar-powered pest and weather monitoring system
Asia and the Pacific Viet NamThe Climate Smart Agriculture Value Chain Development project in Ben Tre and Tra Vinh (CSAT) an IFAD funded project in Viet Nam is pioneering the use of a solar-powered pest and weather monitoring system that integrates UV light traps in rice landscapes and pheromone traps in fruit orchards. Each station is equipped with a camera that periodically captures images, after which the trapping arena is automatically washed and reset to continue collecting insects. Using AI, the system identifies captured insects down to species and ecological guilds—herbivores, predators, and decomposers—providing high-resolution data for analysis. Of the 26 sentinel stations currently operating across Southern Viet Nam, 25 are supported by IFAD, with each requiring an initial investment of approximately US $12,500 and an annual service contract of US $800 for maintenance. The resulting pest and natural-enemy hotspot maps, migration trajectories, and population forecasts are delivered as an application-as-a-service to the Department of Plant Protection, which uses the insights to craft recommendations for farmers via the Rynan Mekong app.
Activity Type AI Tools/SolutionsInfrastructure/Systems DevelopmentCanopy AI Portal
Global Not Applicable
Canopy is IFAD’s internal AI portal with data dashboards for augmented analytics projects. With AI and data combined, deeper insights are surfaced on IFAD's portfolio across thematic areas and in collections of documents related to IFAD's work. Canopy AI brings AI-generated data to IFAD for the IFAD context, with methodological approaches designed and developed with subject matter experts across the organization. Current dashboards include:
● Retrospective Analysis of Fragile Situations in the IFAD Portfolio
● Analysis of National Pathways from the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub
● Land Tenure Stocktake of IFAD Projects
● NDC-PDB Coherence Analysis
SMARTFARM
Africa EthiopiaRwanda
A data and digital technology driven farm and farm management solution for climate resilience.
The activity involves the implementation of the SMARTFARM digital platform, a data-driven farm management solution, across Ethiopia and Rwanda. It focuses on:
● Digitizing farms and farmers (~130,000 smallholder households)
● Delivering real-time weather, climate, and advisory services
● Using satellite monitoring, predictive analytics, and AI-based insights
● Supporting farm planning, crop selection, irrigation, pest/disease management
● Building a network of ~2,000 agri-entrepreneurs and extension workers
● Creating ecosystem linkages (markets, credit, buyers)
The activity is executed over a 2-year period and integrated with existing IFAD programs.
The overall goal of SMARTFARM is to enhance climate resilience of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia and Rwanda.
Specific Objectives
● Enable farmers to adapt to climate change
● Improve crop productivity
● Strengthen food and nutrition security
● Provide real-time climate and farm advisory services
● Promote climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices
● Strengthen last-mile delivery systems through digital tools and trained personnel
Expected Impact:
A. Farmer-Level Impact
● Increased productivity and yields
● Reduced climate risks (droughts, pests, erratic rainfall)
● Improved decision-making using data-driven advisories
● Better resource efficiency (water, inputs, fertilizers)
B. System-Level Impact
● Digitization of 130,000+ smallholder farms
● Strengthened extension services and rural institutions
● Improved access to markets, finance, and inputs
● Enhanced data-driven agricultural planning
C. Social Impact
● Inclusion of:
o ~50% women
o ~40% youth
o ~5% persons with disabilities
● Increased livelihood resilience for vulnerable groups
D. Environmental Impact
● Adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices
● Improved water and input efficiency
● Reduced environmental risks (e.g., overuse of agrochemicals)
E. Long-Term Impact
● Creation of a scalable and replicable digital agriculture model
● Strengthened climate adaptation ecosystems
● Contribution to food security at regional level