Empowering local water solutions
Conserving and restoring wetlands in Mexico City
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Restoring streams in Washington with human-made beaver dams
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Utilizing AI-powered precision irrigation systems in Chile
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Funding safe drinking water for schools in Kenya
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Optimizing water use with AI in India
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Harvesting rainwater for Malaysian schools
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Using AI to improve water use in Spain
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Increasing water and hygiene access in Nigeria
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Replenishment Access
Harvesting water from sugarcane in India
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Protecting water in Texas
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Implementing zero water for cooling in datacenters
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More about accelerating sustainability
5 innovations for our sustainable future
Our sustainability journey and progress
Conserving and restoring wetlands in Mexico City
The challenge: Lake Xochimilco, once part of a vast lagoon system, is threatened by urban sprawl, pollution, habitat loss, and invasive species. This endangers both its ancient agricultural traditions and the axolotl population, which has dwindled to fewer than 36 individuals per square kilometer in the wild.
The impact: To help restore the ecosystem, Microsoft is partnering with Conservation International to support efforts to revitalize 19 chinampas (ancient agricultural techniques involving floating gardens), widen 540 meters of canals, and plant 600 trees. These initiatives not only protect biodiversity but also strengthen local farming; if fully restored, Xochimilco Wetlands could provide 15% to 20% of Mexico City’s produce.
Restoring streams in Washington with human-made beaver dams
The challenge: Central Washington’s river ecosystems have suffered from habitat loss, declining groundwater levels, and the near disappearance of beavers due to fur trapping and land use changes. Beaver dams play a critical role in the river ecosystem and once transformed floodplains into thriving wetlands.
The impact: To help restore balance, Microsoft partnered with Trout Unlimited to install over 100 beaver dam analogs (BDAs) across the Rock Island Creek Watershed. These structures mimic natural beaver dams, creating pools, slowing water flow, and improving groundwater recharge.
With 129 BDAs expected to store nearly 4,000 cubic m³ of water annually, the project is revitalizing wetlands, supporting wildlife, and strengthening local water resilience.
Utilizing AI-powered precision irrigation systems in Chile
The challenge: Chile’s Maipo Basin supplies 80% of the water consumed in greater Santiago and faces intense water scarcity due to drought and made worse by climate change. This poses a significant challenge for farmers striving to keep their crops healthy while ensuring local communities have sufficient drinking water.
The impact: To address this, Microsoft is partnering with Kilimo to assist 11 farmers in utilizing AI-powered precision irrigation across 450 hectares of farmland, enabling more efficient water use. So far, this system has saved 1.5 million m3 of water (about 600 Olympic-sized swimming pools) by minimizing unnecessary irrigation and is poised to continue delivering these savings in the future.
Funding safe drinking water for schools in Kenya
The challenge: More than 40% of people in Kenya lack access to safe drinking water. This is worse in rural areas, including schools, with students frequently missing classes due to waterborne diseases.
The impact: To address these challenges, Microsoft and Aqua Clara Kenya are installing rainwater harvesting and purification systems, while also providing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) education to students. These efforts are making a long-lasting difference in health and education.
The goal is to reach 100 schools in Bomet and Kericho counties, ensuring safe water for over 50,000 children and sustaining the project over 10 years.
Optimizing water use with AI in India
The challenge: Rapid urbanization and climate change have led to a severe water crisis in Bengaluru, India, once known as the “city of a thousand lakes”, with groundwater depletion nearly double the natural replenishment rate.
The impact: Microsoft is partnering with FluxGen to deploy IoT and AI-driven water management solutions at two hospitals, aiming to reduce water consumption by 50%. Early results show a 10% reduction at St. Martha’s Hospital. Using Microsoft Azure and Aqua GPT, the initiative boosts efficiency and serves as a model for broader water conservation efforts in India.
Harvesting rainwater for Malaysian schools
The challenge: Kelantan, Malaysia faces a growing water crisis, where poor water quality, aging infrastructure, and insufficient treatment facilities leave many communities and schools struggling for clean water.
The impact: With Microsoft’s support, CLEAN International installed rainwater harvesting systems in 50 schools, integrating a three-tier filtration system that removes 99.9999% of bacteria. The project benefits over 20,000 people by providing schools with a new sustainable source of clean water. It also offers training for students and teachers on system maintenance and water conservation, ensuring a lasting positive impact on their health and well-being.
Using AI to improve water use in Spain
The challenge: Madrid, Spain, faces increasing water stress due to its rapidly growing population and hot, dry climate, impacting agriculture and water access in urban areas. Climate change is expected to worsen these shortages in the coming years.
The impact:
Agricultural water use: In partnership with Agua Segura, Agrow Analytics will optimize irrigation on approximately 200 hectares of farmland using AI-driven recommendations. This initiative aims to save over 700,000 m³ of water over its lifetime, and support farmers through monitoring and technical assistance.
Urban water transport: Microsoft is partnering with Aganova to enhance leak detection in the water distribution network of Mancomunidad de Aguas del Sorbe, a water utility near Madrid, by deploying its AI-powered technology across 162.8 km of municipal pipes.
Increasing water and hygiene access in Nigeria
The challenge: In Nigeria, 44.5 million people—one in five—don’t have clean water close to home. In Lagos, only 36% of schools and 29% of healthcare facilities have basic water, sanitation and hygiene services.
The impact: Partnering with WaterAid, Microsoft will provide clean water to residents by rehabilitating four non-functional water systems and improving sanitation facilities, including a handwashing station at a local school. The initiative also aims to enhance hygiene practices through behavior change campaigns and strengthen governance around water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services.
The initiative will provide 20,000 residents with safe water access and improved sanitation facilities.
Harvesting water from sugarcane in India
The challenge: Despite being home to 18% of the world’s population, India only has access to 4% of the world’s freshwater resources. This imbalance makes India one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. In Nagpur, India, residents face significant challenges in accessing safe drinking water, primarily due to extraction of groundwater that is of poor quality and is being rapidly depleted.
The impact: Microsoft, in collaboration with Botanical Water Technologies, is deploying Water Harvesting Units to collect and treat condensate from processed sugarcane at a local mill to produce 60 million liters of potable water annually for at least three years with the ability to increase volumes and scale the impact.
With a total volumetric benefit of 180,000 m³, this project enhances water security and improves community well-being, benefitting over 16,000 residents.
Protecting water in Texas
The challenge: The Edwards Aquifer, the primary water source for eight counties in Texas, is under threat from rapid development and inefficient water use, which could lead to depletion and put residents at risk.
The impact: In partnership with the Edwards Aquifer Conservancy, Microsoft is securing a conservation easement on over 1,186 acres, leasing groundwater rights to reduce pumping by 400 acre-feet annually for 10 years and incentivizing efficient irrigation on 4 to 6 farms.
These efforts will enhance recharge, improve storage, and boost agricultural water efficiency, delivering a total volumetric benefit exceeding 8 million m³ over the lifetime of the projects.
Implementing zero water for cooling in datacenters
The challenge: As datacenters continue to expand to support AI and cloud computing, Microsoft is committed to minimizing our environmental impact.
The impact: Beginning in August 2024, Microsoft launched a new datacenter design that optimizes AI workloads and consumes zero water for cooling, avoiding the use of 125 million liters per facility each year.
By implementing advanced liquid cooling technologies such as direct-to-chip cooling and closed-loop water recycling, Microsoft has improved Water Usage Effectiveness by 39% since 2021 and reduced overall water intensity by 80% since the early 2000s.