Google’s Flood Hub sends cash aid before floods in Bangladesh

Farmers on Jamira, a tiny island on Bangladesh’s flood-prone Jamuna River, are used to warring with the river that’s eating their land. 

Next year, they’ll have one more weapon in their arsenal: cash payments from the international nonprofit GiveDirectly delivered days before a flood hits. The group uses Google’s artificial intelligence-based flood forecasting to identify at-risk villagers. 

This flips the traditional humanitarian model — where aid is delivered to entire…