After months of rigorous training, idea implementation, and mentorship, the teams competing in the UNESCO Water Resilience Challenge 2024 presented their solutions to water management and conservation in front of various judges and experts. The event was a showcase of innovation, dedication, and the power of collaborative effort in addressing pressing water and climate issues.
The session started with opening remarks from Ryuichi Fukuhara, who represented the UNESCO team, and our Managing Director, Gregor van Essen, as the Lead Mentor. Both congratulated the teams for coming so far from the UNESCO Water Resilience Challenge 2023: Youth Action for Water and for having finished their projects with such success.
Together with them, the four esteemed experts, Chong Khai Lin from Universiti Utara Malaysia, Ego Lemos from Permaculture Timor-Leste, Jelle Therry, and Neil Andika from Universitas Gadjah Mada, also joined to be part of the jury board.
Following the jury introduction, the presentation sessions took place. Given the brief minutes of presentation time, teams stepped into the spotlight to share the final results of their six-week project implementation. Each team passionately shared their journeys, highlighting key activities, the challenges they overcame, their project results, and the impacts they created. The results presented were not only remarkable but also reflected their growth as a team and individuals since their participation in the UNESCO Water Resilience Challenge 2023: Youth Action for Water. For more details on the teams’ profiles and project outcomes, visit here.
After thorough consideration, three teams emerged as the winning teams, each with a unique contribution to sustainable water management:
- Best Community Outreach Initiative: Team AquaCleanse Cambodia (Cambodia)
- Most Groundbreaking Solution: Team Make Water OK (Malaysia)
- Jury’s Choice: Tim Banyu (Indonesia)
The three winning teams of UWRC 2024
As these winning teams prepare to share their groundbreaking projects with the global participants of the 10th World Water Forum, we also celebrate the spirit of collaboration and mentorship that guided their journey. Their collective efforts underscore the vital role of youth in shaping a resilient and water-secure future.
