How Databricks and MapAid Are Using AI to Find Water in Ethiopia

For millions of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia, access to reliable water can mean the difference between poverty and the ability to grow enough food to support their families and communities. Yet drilling a deep-water well can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, while traditional methods of choosing where to drill often have a high failure rate. Global MapAid is working to change this through WellMapr, an AI-powered groundwater mapping system developed with support from Databricks. By transforming large volumes of multilingual water records into usable data in seconds rather than weeks, the project could help identify better drilling locations, expand irrigation and strengthen food security. Watch the video to discover how technology, data and international collaboration are helping turn access to water into new opportunities for farmers across Ethiopia.