Lesson from New York: Inclusivity is central for innovation in water

They were part of a Wetskills event – a pressure-cooker programme for young, passionate water professionals - that concluded the IHE Delft-supported UN2023 Gamechanger Challenge, a competition launched ahead of the UN 2023 Water Conference to inspire young people to improve the global water situation. IHE Delft PhD Candidate Adele Young and MSc student Mila Avellar Montezuma, who guided teams during the 11-day Wetskills event,  reflect on the experience.

“The role of youth in leading and implementing innovation was evident as we spent long days working intensively to sharpen ideas ahead of presentations to a jury. It was clear that the  young people taking part in the Wetskills event and Gamechanger Challenge were not only passionate about the environment, but also had a deep understanding of the challenges facing the world today. Their innovative solutions to water-related challenges demonstrate that young people have a crucial role to play in creating a more sustainable future.

The five ideas sought to help resolve major problems facing humanity, including droughts and water scarcity. To provoke, we asked questions such as: ‘Can we transform the problem of water scarcity into an opportunity to provide safe and clean drinking water for all, everywhere and every time?’

The teams responded by working with us to take their ideas, listed below, to the next level.

Ladakh: water conservation in mountainous areas – artificial glaciers (India)
Oceanic: Plastic collection & recycling system (South Africa)
Pauwes: resilient cities: rainwater harvesting systems (Nigeria, Ghana)
Algeanius: nature-based solutions in water treatment processes (Netherlands)
Sigmuan: smart technologies in water analysis (Philippines, Belgium, Netherlands)

Together, we presented the refined proposals at a New York Water Week event, with representatives from authorities, water professionals, academia and civil society in the audience, along with a jury.

At a separate event later in the week in New York, Chen Lester Wu, an IHE Delft alumnus and the captain for team Sigmuan, and one of us – Mila - shared the team’s project idea with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, and the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Mark Harbers.

The two took interest in the team’s idea, which involves using capacity building,  autonomous compact systems, machine learning and cloud computing to make water monitoring more accessible. The King and the minister asked detailed questions, including about the way forward for the project, which ultimately aims to provide safe and clean drinking water to all. 

The young people taking part in Wetskills, the Gamechanger Challenge and the many other events organized in relation to the UN 2023 Water Conference demonstrated that they are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but also the leaders of today. With ideas and initiatives that are not only creative but also practical and feasible, they proved that they have the potential to make a real difference in communities across the world.

In New York, it was clear that inclusiveness is crucial to achieving success - diversity is central. A diverse range of stakeholders, including youth, indigenous peoples, financial institutions, the private sector, knowledge institutions and non-governmental organizations working together can tackle global challenges. Cooperation that involves all is needed to resolve the serious water challenges facing the world.”