Ask HN: I want to work on combatting desertification – What's out there?

Hi HN! I'm a long time reader, but only now have I felt the courage to post.

A few months ago YC posted a request for startups working on Carbon Removal Technology. One of those requested was 'Desert Flooding' aimed at fighting ongoing desertification [1]. I've been keeping up with all the news related to that post and searching for startups working on anything close to desertification, but I'm at a loss at finding anything. As a recently graduated undergraduate, I really want to dive headfirst into this issue but have only been able to quench my thirst (haha) through the reading of papers.

Does HN know of any projects or startups that might be working at applying to YC in the future for this sort of tech?

Any leads would be very appreciated!

[1]:http://carbon.ycombinator.com