Tanzanian AI platform wins UN award for turning climate data into action
A Tanzanian platform designed to turn climate data into early warnings and adaptation plans has won a United Nations climate technology award, highlighting efforts to make artificial intelligence useful to vulnerable communities.
Upendo Ernest Lyimo received the AI for Climate Action Award 2026 for CLIMAID, which combines artificial intelligence, satellite observations and local vulnerability information to support decisions about climate risks.
The winner was announced at the AI for Climate Action Forum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, held on 13 and 14 October.
The platform addresses a problem Lyimo encountered while growing up in Tanzania and researching communities exposed to climate hazards: information needed to respond to droughts, floods and environmental change often remains fragmented and disconnected from decisions.
Those impacts extend beyond household income, affecting cultural identity, traditional knowledge and ways of life, Lyimo said.
CLIMAID is designed to bring different sources of evidence together. The open-source platform combines climate records, satellite data, geographical information and household vulnerability assessments to generate insights for local planning.
Its intended uses include mapping climate risks at district level, predicting droughts, supporting early warnings and helping authorities plan adaptation measures.
It also supports assessments of economic and non-economic loss and damage associated with climate impacts. That information can help decision-makers identify vulnerable households, prioritise climate finance and strengthen reporting.
The award gives the project greater visibility as Lyimo seeks partnerships with governments, researchers, technology providers and climate finance organisations.
Lyimo’s ambition is to expand beyond Tanzania and develop an adaptable service for communities elsewhere in Africa and other climate-vulnerable regions.
The recognition comes through a UN initiative focused on applications of AI in developing countries, particularly least developed countries and small island developing states.
Established in June 2023, the AI for Climate Action Initiative brings together the Technology Executive Committee and the Climate Technology Centre and Network to share knowledge, strengthen capacity and support locally led solutions.
The Cambodia forum brought policymakers, researchers, innovators and development partners together to discuss responsible innovation and the partnerships needed to expand emerging technologies.
Organised by the Technology Executive Committee with the Korea International Cooperation Agency and Cambodia’s government, it examined both opportunities and risks associated with using AI for climate action.
CLIMAID was one of five finalists. The others were Ai-Moris from Indonesia, FirePredict from Tanzania, ClimateVoice AI from Mali and Climate Action Copilot from Bangladesh.
The teams presented their solutions to an expert judging panel in September and were invited to showcase their work at the forum.
For UN Climate Change, wider access is central to the effort. Sophie De Coninck, director of its Means of Implementation Division, said locally driven innovation could help vulnerable communities understand and respond to climate risks.
She stressed that AI should help narrow the global technology divide.
For CLIMAID, the ambition is to turn recognition into partnerships and broader use. Its contribution is to connect climate information with decisions about where risks are greatest, which households need support and how adaptation resources can be directed to those facing climate impacts.
Second Eye Africa
