Akshvi Digital Wallet

April 24, 2025

India, the world’s most populous country, faces challenges from extreme weather events. Between 2019 and 2023, it incurred over $56 billion in damages due to climate-induced disasters. To address this, the non-profit SEEDS India has developed Akshvi, a digital wallet aimed at recording climate losses and enhancing community resilience.

Akshvi

Akshvi, which stands for Aapda Kshati Vivaran, is an innovative e-disaster wallet. It enables affected communities to log their economic and non-economic losses during extreme weather events. The platform aims to empower individuals to self-report their losses, ensuring their needs are prioritised in recovery efforts.

Functionality of the Digital Wallet

Each household has an E-Disaster Wallet that allows members to document their losses. This can be done via an Interactive Voice Response System, a WhatsApp chatbot, or through assisted data entry. The simplicity of these methods ensures accessibility for all, including those with limited literacy.

Data Accuracy and Verification

During pilot projects, 98% of self-reported data was verified as accurate. This high accuracy rate challenges the notion that communities inflate their losses. The verification process builds trust in the data collected and enhances the credibility of the platform.

Community Engagement and Impact

Akshvi promotes community involvement in disaster recovery. It aggregates losses reported by individuals to inform policy decisions and recovery efforts. The platform also facilitates direct financial assistance to affected families, ensuring timely support.

Future Aspirations and Goals

SEEDS India aims to onboard one million households onto the Akshvi platform within a year. This initiative will create a comprehensive database of losses, linking it to social welfare schemes and insurance programmes. The goal is to enhance resilience and improve disaster response in the long term.

Broader Implications

The Akshvi platform represents a shift towards bottom-up approaches in disaster management. By empowering communities, it encourages resilience and sustainability in the face of increasing climate threats. This model can potentially be replicated globally, addressing similar challenges in other regions.

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