Digital pathways to a thriving and livable planet

Across the world, people are feeling the strain of a changing environment. In 2025, nine out of 10 people were living in places where the land is losing productivity, the air is polluted, or the water is becoming scarce or unsafe. In low-income countries, most people face all three of these challenges at once—putting health, jobs, and growth at risk.

To meet these growing pressures, countries need new and innovative ways to protect people and natural resources while driving sustainable development. A recent World Bank report, Reboot Development: The Economics of a Livable Planet, highlights how digital technologies can help. These tools can improve access to reliable information, strengthen early warning systems, and connect vulnerable communities to critical resources, such as reliable data on water and air quality as well as essential services like healthcare, clean water, and financial assistance.  

Digital technologies are making possible what was once unfeasible in development, unlocking solutions that scale faster and reach further than traditional approaches. Here are three ways digital strategies are driving transformative development outcomes. 

Digital lifelines in a time of crisis 

Accelerating digitalization is essential for building resilient, inclusive, and adaptive systems, especially during crises. From hurricanes to droughts and floods, digital tools can mean the difference between chaos and coordinated action. For example, as heavy rain approaches flood-prone villages, real-time phone alerts warn families to move to higher ground and provide safe evacuation routes, giving people time to protect themselves and their loved ones. In the aftermath, digital payments deliver immediate support, allowing those affected to quickly receive emergency funds directly to their mobile wallets to buy food, medicine, or repair their home and recover with dignity.

Yet, the benefits of digital technologies are not shared equally. Without access to mobile phones and the internet, millions are cut off from these critical lifelines—widening what has become a growing resiliency divide. The divide is most pronounced in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, where only 45 percent or fewer of adults use the internet (most often through smart phones), compared to over 80 percent in other regions. This means that those most exposed to climate risks are often the least connected, missing early warnings, evacuation routes, and emergency support when they need it most. 

The World Bank is working to close this divide and strengthen digital resilience. In Sri Lanka, for instance, we supported the MOBILISE early warning platform, which integrates real-time data from weather forecasts, sensors, and vulnerability databases. During the 2024 monsoon floods in the country’s Kalutara District, the system enabled faster coordination among agencies and communities, helping save lives. By expanding access to digital infrastructure and tools, we can help ensure that when a crisis strikes, no one is left without the information or support they need to respond and adapt.

Boosting yields and farmer incomes while nourishing billions 

Digital technologies are also transforming agriculture and food systems by making them more efficient, transparent, and resilient. Tools like remote sensing, mobile advisory services, and digital marketplaces help farmers optimize resources, cut waste, and access timely information and secure better prices for their crops. For example, instead of relying on guesswork and spreading fertilizer evenly across fields, smartphone apps now provide personalized recommendations on how much fertilizer to apply and where. This targeted approach saves money, increases harvests, and reduces runoff into local waterways—leading to higher profits, healthier soil, and less pollution.

In Ethiopia, a World Bank–supported program with the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research used machine learning to guide site-specific fertilizer use. Drawing on data from 20,000 wheat farms across 277 locations, the system recommended optimal fertilizer levels for each area, raising yields by 25 percent and boosting profits by $580 per hectare per season. Such innovations show how digital tools can increase productivity, food security, and sustainability across the agricultural sector. 

Digital solutions to modernize forest preservation 

Healthy forests help regions withstand droughts by retaining soil moisture and stabilizing water supplies, as the Reboot Development report illustrates. Protecting forests is both an environmental and economic imperative, and digital technologies are playing a key role. Satellite imagery, drones, and artificial intelligence now detect deforestation in real time, blockchain and traceability tools ensure timber and agricultural products are deforestation-free, and digital platforms channel payments and carbon finance directly to communities safeguarding forests. Meanwhile, mobile and mapping tools empower Indigenous groups to secure land rights, while precision agriculture and digital marketplaces help farmers boost yields without expanding into forests. 

The World Bank–led Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Program demonstrates this in practice. Through the Amazon Regional Observatory, countries are improving real-time monitoring and predictive modelling, sharing critical data on climate, hydrology, and ecological tipping points. This collaborative platform strengthens evidence-based policies that help sustainably manage the vital Amazonian ecosystem.

Digital technologies offer a pathway not just to adaptation, but for transforming economies and societies. Closing the gaps and scaling innovative solutions empowers communities to anticipate risks, protect essential resources, and unlock new opportunities for growth. The time to act is now, so future generations inherit not just a livable planet, but a thriving one.