Gather Network
Community-powered climate intelligence
The Gather Network is EQUINOCT’s decentralized climate data initiative that bridges the last-mile gap in flood forecasting. Built on trust and community participation, it empowers residents across Kerala’s Periyar and Chalakudy river basins to systematically record rainfall data using custom-built gauges and a mobile logging app. This grassroots climate intelligence forms the backbone of EQUINOCT’s AI and machine learning-powered early warning systems, enabling hyper-local and impact-based flood predictions that strengthen disaster preparedness and resilience.
An inclusive and inter-generational network
The network brings together more than 100 trained contributors who were identified through sustained interaction, trust-building, and training with local schools, self-help groups, farmer collectives, and coastal communities. It is active across two of Kerala’s most critical river basins, the Periyar and the Chalakudy. The Gather Network is inclusive and inter-generational, with youth leaders, senior citizens, students, homemakers, fishers, farmers, women, and differently abled persons all contributing. Importantly, many members come from low-connectivity and flood-vulnerable areas, ensuring that voices from the most at-risk regions are part of the data ecosystem. All data collected is integrated into live flood dashboards which support disaster planning and risk management.
How the network works
Each member of the Gather Network is equipped with a custom-built rain gauge that has been tested for accuracy under intense monsoon conditions. They use the Gather mobile app, which is designed for simplicity and offline use, to log daily rainfall observations. The routine is straightforward: observe, measure, and record. These contributions are then fed into Insight Gather, EQUINOCT’s centralized web portal, where incoming data is combined with forecasts and analyzed through advanced AI models. The insights are used to simulate flood scenarios and issue early warnings that are accessible to both disaster management authorities and local communities.
