Donate your old smartphone and sponsor rainfall knowledge

From November 27, 2019 to January 8, 2020
In the smartphone donation box in the TU Delft Library and Science Centre

Are you also storing all your old smartphones in a dusty box? Donate your old smartphone in the smartphone donation box in the Library or Science Centre and help farmers in West Africa optimize food production by better predicting rainfall patterns. Understanding rainfall patterns is critical for economic growth and food security: West Africa’s economy is mainly sustained on agriculture and over 70% of crops are rain fed. The phones will be used in the upcoming project Schools and Satellites, to better quantify and understand rainfall patterns in Ghana in West Africa.

Climate change and water management
According to the IPCC, the Global South will seriously suffer from climate change. As traditional rainfall patterns shift, accurate rainfall information becomes crucial for farmers to optimize food production. The scarce rain gauge (ground-based measurements) distribution and data transmission challenges make rainfall analysis difficult in these regions. Satellites could offer a solution to this problem, but current rainfall estimates from satellites for the region are very inaccurate.

From satellites to soda bottles for rain measurement
The goal of the project Schools and Satellites is to use citizen science and machine learning to improve rainfall estimates from satellites; ground-based rainfall measurements from Smartphones4Water will be utilized in training and verification of the machine-learning algorithm developed. Their classic 1.5-liter bottle rain gauges will be distributed to schools in Ghana, which will record local rainfall data using smartphones. You can learn more about this method of data collection and the accuracy of these gauges.

Smartphones needed for data
The smartphones needed for recording and sharing the data are not directly available for the schoolchildren in Tamale, where the project will pilot next year. This is where we need your help! Tu Delft Library and Science Centre Delft are collecting old smartphones to be used to supply shools in Ghana to collect data. The collected phones will be examined on whether they have a working camera, GPS and internet applications. In case they do not, they will be sold to recycling companies like Rebuy and GSMLoket. From that money new phones in Ghana will be bought. In other words: all kind of (old) smartphones are welcome to be donated! We will continue collecting old smartphones until January 8, 2020. Ensure that all your personal information is removed from your phone by performing a 'Factory reset' prior to donation.

Partners
PhD-fellow Monica Estebanez Camarena and her team from the Water Management department of the TU Delft work on this issue together with the startup PULSAQUA, local organizations TAHMO Ghana and the Ghana Meteorological Agency, and the foundation Smartphones4Water (S4W). S4W mobilizes young researchers, citizen scientists, and mobile technology to improve lives by strengthening our understanding and management of water. With the help of Abdallah Yamasa and Safianu Abdulai from SmallFarmers and Monica and Patrick Nii Lante Lamptey from GMet.

Impact Day Exhibition in the Library
The donation project will start on <link en events global impact-day>TU Delft Impact Day on November 26, 2019. During Impact Day researchers and partners of TU Delft | Global Initiative will showcase their research in an interactive exposition. At the "Schools and Satellites" stand, where you can learn to make your own soda bottle rain gauge. 
From November 27, 2019 till January 8, 2020 the Impact Day Exhibition will be showcased in the TU Delft Library. The  smartphone donation box is available in the TU Delft Library and Science Centre, who work together with S4W to collect old smartphones.

Stay updated
If you want to stay updated on the continuation of this project, please subscribe to the monthly newsletter that will be send out.

December 19 - Lunch lecture and workshop

Learn more about the project Schools and Satellites and make your own rain gauge!
From 12:30-14:00 hours in the TU Delft Library 
More information about the program