Deadline: 15-Sep-22

Applications are now open for the World Water Challenge 2022, an international contest for water solutions.

As a follow up activity of the 7th World Water Forum in 2015, it has been annually held in conjunction with the Korea International Water Week(KIWW), aiming to identify imminent water problems that world is facing and to find feasible solutions to them.

The program is aiming at identification of science, technology and policy based solutions to imminent water problems. Attracting great attention in the 1st edition in 2015 at the 7th World Water Forum, the program has become one of the symbolic platforms of implementation which has been followed up in the Korea International Water Week over the past 4 years, focusing on scientific and technological methods that have contributed to the world’s awareness on the importance of the roles of science and technology in solving water challenges.

This year, the World Water Challenge 2022 (WWCH 2022) will also take place as one of the signature programs of the Korea International Water Week (KIWW) 2022 in coming November in Daegu, Republic of Korea.

This 7th edition of the World Water Challenge is expected to serve its role as an important platform to share not only innovative scientific/ technological methods but also policy towards solving the defined water problems around the world and to forge a broad network among the experts and stakeholders in water sector as well as the diverse pool of problem owners and solution providers.

Particularly, amid the ongoing COVID-19 situation around the world, WWCH 2022 will continue to deal with the special topic “Water and Health” selected last year along with five Main Topics to demonstrate a pathway to not only overcoming the current pandemic but also achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Main Topics and Challenges

• Water and Health
  • (Challenge) Scale-up of WASH for Public Health
  • (Challenge) Efficient Method for Wastewater Surveillance to Detect Spread of Disease
• Efficient Water Management
  • (Challenge) Integrated Management of Diversified Water Resources
  • (Challenge) Innovating Financing for Local Water Solutions
• Resource Recovery from Water and Wastewater System
  • (Challenge) Energy Efficiency in Sewage, Waste water, and Sea Water Recycling and Reuse
  • (Challenge) NEXUS for Efficient Utilization of Limited Water Resources and Energy Recovery
• Water and Natural Disasters
  • (Challenge) Flood Prevention and Management for Sustainable Water Cycle and Urban Regeneration
  • (Challenge) The Depletion and Pollution of Water Caused by Climate Change
• Smart Water Technologies
  • (Challenge) ICBM, ICT based Water Management
  • (Challenge) ‘Smart’ Solutions for Water Management : Definition and Case of ‘Smart Solutions’ by Region, Sector, and Target
• Ecosystem and Water
  • (Challenge): Nature-based Solutions for Ecological Recovery and Reinstate Natural Process of Rivers
  • (Challenge) Ecological Urban Water Cycle in Adaptation of Climate Change

Benefits

• Winners will be presented with a cash prize and trophy, and they will have the chance to be invited to the WWCH Showcase during the KIWW 2023 and/or the 9th World Water Forum to share their solutions with the experts from all around the world.
• The Best up to 10,000,000 KRW (approx. 7,600 USD)
• Outstanding up to 3,000,000 KRW (approx. 2,200 USD)
• The title of the awards and the amount of prize money are subject to change.
• If there is not qualified solutions for the “THE BEST” prize based on the decision of the evaluation committee, there may not be the winner of the year and/or type of award and prize money may change

Eligibility Criteria

Anyone (as an individual or on behalf of an organization) who is interested in contributing to resolve water related challenges with creative/applicable solutions is welcome to submit solutions to WWCH 2022’s designated challenges announced.

For more information, visit https://kiww.org/fairContents.do?FAIRMENU_IDX=5815&hl=ENG