Final Results of Previous World Water Challenge
World Water Challenge 2023 Final Result
Selected Water Challenges and Solutions
In 2023, a set of Main Topics and Challenges which align with SDG Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) were newly selected by the international steering committee. With 5 Main Topics and 9 Challenges, WWCH 2023 received a total of 126 submissions from 43 countries. As a result of the first round of evaluation, 9 solutions were chosen and invited to the final round. The finalists were evaluated based on their oral presentations and Q&A held in the final round and the three winners of WWCH 2023 were decided according to the following criteria: Comprehension, Contribution to “Sustainability”, Feasibility, Originality/Novelty and Impact. “THE BEST” prize winner was granted 10,000,000 KRW (Approx. 7,600 USD) for the solution titled ‘Recycling of wastewater to recover fresh water, reduce brine discharge and capture CO2’, and two winners were granted the “OUTSTANDING” prize for the solutions titled ‘Clean Water Village:Sustainable Water Resource Management Action from Catchment to Villagers’, and ‘SWC’. The two awardees also received 3,000,000 KRW (Approx. 2,200 USD) cash prize with trophies.
Main Focus | Challenges and Solutions | Remarks | |
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Water and Wastewater Treatment | Challenge | Energy-efficient (or Carbon-emission-reducing) Water Recycling and Reuse | |
Solution | elerGreen Production and Waste Valorization from Water Pollutants using Renewable Electricity | ||
Solution | Next-generation wastewater treatment process for carbon and energy neutralities | ||
Solution | Recycling of wastewater to recover fresh water, reduce brine discharge and capture CO2 | The Best | |
Efficient Water Management | Challenge | Sustainable Water Resource Management | |
Solution | Clean Water Village:Sustainable Water Resource Management Action from Catchment to Villagers | Outstanding | |
Water and | Challenge | Flood/Drought Risk Assessment and Management | |
Natural Disasters | Solution | Climate resilient water management software powered by satellite imaging & AI | |
Water and | Challenge | Depletion and Pollution of Water Caused by Natural Disaster | |
Natural Disasters | Solution | SWC | Outstanding |
Ecosystem and Water | Challenge | Nature-based Solutions for Ecological Recovery and Resilient Water Cycle | |
Solution | Nature based river rejuvenation: Mandakini River, India (part of Ganga basin) | ||
Solution | Bamboo oasis | |
World Water Challenge 2022 Final Result
Selected Water Challenges and Solutions
WWCH 2022 attracted 93 solutions from 39 countries with 12 challenges (same main topics in 2020).
The 9 selected solutions out of 93 were selected for the final round, and those solution providers were invited to the WWCH 2022 final round. The selected nine solutions were evaluated by their oral presentations and the interviews during the final round and the three winners of WWCH 2022 were decided according to the criteria: Comprehension, Feasibility, Contribution to “Sustainability”, Challenge, Impact and Presentation. “THE BEST” prize (the Minister Award of the Korean Ministry of Environment) winner was granted 10,000,000 KRW (Approx. 7,600 USD) for the solution titled ‘Micro solar desalinator, easily producible in underdeveloped countries ’, and other two winners were granted “OUTSTANDING” prizes (the President Award of the Korea Water Forum) for the solutions titled ‘Grid connected solar irrigation pumps for economic and sustainable water solution’, and ‘Empowering the local to access safe and sustainable drinking water in Laos’. Two outstanding awardees also received 3,000,000 KRW (Approx. 2,200 USD) cash prize with trophies.
Main Focus | Challenges and Solutions | Remarks | |
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Water and Health | Challenge | Scale-up of WASH for Public Health | |
Solution | Empowering the local to access safe and sustainable drinking water in Laos | Outstanding | |
Solution | Improving Access to WASH in school constructing latrines and hand washing facility. | ||
Efficient Water Management | Challenge | Integrated Management of Diversified Water Resources | |
Solution | Micro solar desalinator, easily producible in underdeveloped countries | The Best | |
Water and Natural Disasters | Challenge | Flood Prevention and Management for Sustainable Water Cycle and Urban Regeneration | |
Solution | Emergency Water Response (EWR) Unit | ||
Solution | Conservation and Income Generation through the construction of Ponds | ||
Ecosystem and Water | Challenge | Nature-based solutions for ecological recovery and reinstate natural process of rivers | |
Solution | Restoration of the Riverine Ecosystem Through the Application of Nature-based Riparian Eco-belts | ||
Resource Recovery from Water and Wastewater System | Challenge | Energy Efficiency in Sewage, Waste water, and Sea Water Recycling and Reuse | |
Solution | Reuse of Fecal Sludge for Income and Environmental Quality Maintenance | ||
Challenge | NEXUS for Efficient Utilization of Limited Water Resources and Energy Recovery | ||
Solution | Grid connected solar irrigation pumps for economic and sustainable water solution | Outstanding | |
Smart Water Technologies | Challenge | 'Smart' Solutions for Water Management: Definition and Case of 'Smart Solutions' by Region, Sector, and Target | |
Solution | SISAM: Improved Solar Irrigation Solution |
World Water Challenge 2021 Final Result
Selected Water Challenges and Solutions
Because of pandemic situation, KIWW 2021 was decided to cancel. Although the KIWW was not happening in 2021, we held WWCH 2021 separately on December 3th in COEX.
Following 2020, 12 challenges were determined and 73 solutions from 32 countries participated in WWCH 2021.
The nine selected solutions out of 73 were selected for the final round, and those solution providers were invited to the WWCH 2021 final round which was livestreamed on KIWW website simultaneously. The selected nine solutions were evaluated by their oral presentations and the interviews during the final round and the three winners of WWCH 2021 were decided according to the criteria: Comprehension, Feasibility, Contribution to “Sustainability”, Challenge, Impact and Presentation. “THE BEST” prize (the Minister Award of the Korean Ministry of Environment) winner was granted 10,000,000 KRW (Approx. 7,600 USD) for the solution titled ‘Solving Scarce and Contaminated Water Problems with the Village Drill and Community Funded Financing’, and other two winners were granted “OUTSTANDING” prizes (the President Award of the Korea Water Forum) for the solutions titled ‘Piloting Innovative Flash Flood Early Warning System in Mountainous Regions of China’, and ‘SLAMDAM: Water-Filled Flood Barrier’. Two outstanding awardees also received 5,000,000 KRW (Approx. 3,800 USD) cash prize with trophies.
Main Focus | Challenges and Solutions | Remarks | |
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Water and Health | Challenge | Scale-up of WASH for Public Health | |
Solution | ECO-MITRA: The Integrated Smart Public Washroom Solution | ||
Efficient Water Management | Challenge | Integrated Management of Diversified Water Resources | |
Solution | GreenOtter - Energy-independent, hands-free portable, ultimate WASH station | ||
Challenge | Innovating Financing for Local Water Solutions | ||
Solution | Solving Scarce and Contaminated Water Problems with the Village Drill and Community Funded Financing | The Best | |
Resource Recovery from Water and Wastewater System | Challenge | Energy Efficiency in Sewage, Waste water, and Sea Water Recycling and Reuse | |
Solution | Zero Liquid Discharge Desalination with Ultralow Energy: Spontaneous 'Catch-and-Retain' Salts | ||
Challenge | NEXUS for Efficient Utilization of Limited Water Resources and Energy Recovery | ||
Solution | E-fields | ||
Water and Natural Disasters | Challenge | The Depletion and Pollution of Water Caused by Climate Change | |
Solution | Transforming lives and drylands with sand dams and clean water | ||
Challenge | Flood Prevention and Management for Sustainable Water Cycle and Urban Regeneration | ||
Solution | SLAMDAM: Water-Filled Flood Barrier | Outstanding | |
Solution | Piloting Innovative Flash Flood Early Warning System in Mountainous Regions of China | Outstanding | |
Smart Water Technologies | Challenge | 'Smart' Solutions for Water Management: Definition and Case of 'Smart Solutions' by Region, Sector, and Target | |
Solution | Cocoon Planting Technology for Reduced Water Consumption in Agriculture in Dry Areas in Palestine. |
World Water Challenge 2020 Final Result
Selected Water Challenges and Solutions
WWCH 2020 attracted 86 solutions from 37 countries. 12 pre-identified challenges were carefully selected by the international steering committee of the WWCH 2020 before ‘call for solutions process’. Particularly, given the current global circumstance in which the world is suffering from COVID-19 pandemic, WWCH 2020 was held as a virtual event, dealing with the special topic “Water and Health’ along with 5 Main Topics to demonstrate a pathway to not only overcoming the current pandemic but also achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The nine selected solutions out of 86 were selected for the final round, and those solution providers were invited to the WWCH 2020 final round which was livestreamed on KIWW website. The selected nine solutions were evaluated by their oral presentations and the interviews during the final round and the three winners of WWCH 2020 were decided according to the criteria: Comprehension, Feasibility, Contribution to “Sustainability”, Challenge, Impact and Presentation. “THE BEST” prize (the Minister Award of the Korean Ministry of Environment) winner was granted 10,000,000 KRW (Approx. 9,200 USD) for the solution titled ‘Extraction of Water from Air at Zero Energy Expenditure to Mitigate Water and Energy Crisis in India’, and other two winners were granted “OUTSTANDING” prizes (the President Award of the Korea Water Forum) for the solutions titled ‘Gravit’eau: a mobile handwashing station with automatic water recycling’, and ‘SMART Tech in support of Low Tech for Pumping Water Uphill’. Two outstanding awardees also received 5,000,000 KRW (Approx. 4,600 USD) cash prize with trophies.
Main Focus | Challenges and Solutions | Remarks | |
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Water and Health (Special Topic of WWCH 2020) |
Challenge | Scale-up of WASH for Public Health | |
Solution | (Solution 1) An Innovative Toilet System for Low-income Countries for Covid-19 and SDG 6 Mr. Janith Madubasha Dissanayake, Waterfirst Laboratory, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea |
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(Solution 2) Resource Circulation Sanitation Showcase to Provide Sustainable Sanitation in Remote Areas Dr. Shervin Hashemi, Institute for Environmental Research, Yonsei University, Republic of Korea |
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(Solution 3) Engaging Public, Private, and Civil Society Groups in WASH Through Women-Led Output Based Aid (WOBA) Mr. Khouankeo Ardphasouk, Thrive Net-Works/ East Meets West Foundation, Lao PDR. |
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Resource Recovery from Water and Wastewater System | Challenge | Energy Efficiency in Sewage, Waste water, and Sea Water Recycling and Reuse | |
Solution | (Solution 4) Gravit’eau: a mobile handwashing station with automatic water recycling Mr. Tom Fitzpatrick, Terre des Hommes, UK |
OUSTANDING | |
(Solution 5) Seawater cooling for photovoltaic solar power greenhouses and agriculture Mr. Volker Korrmann, IrrigationNets.com, Germany |
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Smart Water Technologies |
Challenge | ICBM, ICT based Water Management | |
Solution | (Solution 6) Intelligent water leak management platform Prof. Dr. Young-June Choi, WI.Plat Co.,Ltd., Republic of Korea |
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Challenge | Smart' Solutions for Water Management : Definition and Case of 'Smart Solutions' by Region, Sector, and Target | ||
Solution | (Solution 7) SMART Tech in support of Low Tech for Pumping Water Uphill Mr. Auke Idzenga, Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc., Philippines |
OUSTANDING | |
Ecosystem and Water | Challenge | Nature-based Solutions for Ecological Recovery and Reinstate Natural Process of Rivers | |
Solution | (Solution 8) Restoration Hydro™: A watershed approach to standard modular new hydropower Ms. Gia Schneider, Natel Energy and Restoration Hydro™, Natel Energy Inc., USA |
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Challenge | Ecological Urban Water Cycle in Adaptation of Climate Change | ||
Solution | (Solution 9) Extraction of Water from Air at Zero Energy Expenditure to Mitigate Water and Energy Crisis in India Dr. Senthil Kumar Sadasivam, Geobiotechnology Laboratory, National College (Autonomous), India |
THE BEST |
World Water Challenge 2019 Final Result
Selected Water Challenges and Solutions
WWCH 2019 attracted 67 solutions from 37 countries. Ten prioritized challenges were carefully selected by the international steering committee of the WWCH 2019 before ‘call for solutions process’. In total 67 solutions were submitted from all over the world and only nine solutions were selected for the final round, and those solution providers were invited to the final round of the WWCH during KIWW2019.
The selected nine solutions were evaluated by their oral presentations and the interviews during the final round at the KIWW 2019 and the three winners of WWCH2019 were decided according to the criteria: comprehension, contribution, feasibility, challenge and impact. “The BEST” prize winner was granted 10,000,000 KRW (Approx. 9400 USD) for the solution titled ‘A water kiosk at school’, and other two winners were awarded “OUTSTANDING” prizes for the solutions titled ‘Novel Fertilizer Production from Human Urine in Membrane Distillation Process’, and ‘Sponge-An Innovation in irrigation for sustainable farming’. Two outstanding awardees also received 3,000,000 KRW (Approx. 2,600 USD) cash prize with trophies.
Challenges (Topics) |
Solutions | Award |
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Efficient Water Management |
A water kiosk at school | The Best |
Sponge – An innovation in irrigation for sustainable farming |
Outstanding | |
Smart Technology for Integrated Management of Diversified Water Resources |
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Resource Recovery from Water and Wastewater System |
Novel Fertilizer Production from Human Urine in Membrane Distillation Process |
Outstanding |
Improving Water Security through Water-Energy Nexus Approach in Danang city of Vietnam |
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Solar Dew – Solar Water purification and desalination for households and communities |
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Rejuvenation of Lake Mahadevapura using Nature Based Systems |
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Water and Natural Disasters |
Exploiting the synergies between sustainable urban drainage systems(SUDS) and urban farming |
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Smart Water Technologies |
AgriHydro A Smart Technology to Better Irrigation Management in IWRM platform |