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DUBAI / WAM
Winners of the previous three cycles of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award have emphasised the award’s importance in fostering the innovation of sustainable technologies to resolve the global water scarcity crisis. The award accelerates the efforts to find sustainable solutions to the water scarcity problem around the world and provide potable water to underprivileged and afflicted communities worldwide.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Suqia UAE, praised the innovations that have won the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award in the previous three cycles. He commended their constructive role in providing innovative technologies and prototypes for water production, desalination, and purification using renewable energy. The award also supports the creation of solutions for the clean water scarcity problem that underprivileged and afflicted communities around the world are facing.
Companies, research centres, and innovators who have won the award stated that the award enhances innovation in the work environment and contributes to introducing new investors to their innovative technologies. This expands the scope of positive competitiveness and fosters green financing aimed at helping communities facing existential threats due to the effects of climate change.
Over the past 3 cycles of the award, 31 winners from 22 countries were rewarded for their innovative projects in water desalination and purification using renewable energy sources.
The award has four main categories: the Innovative Projects Award, which includes the Large Projects Award and the Small Projects Award; the Innovative Research and Development Award, which includes the National Institutions Award and the International Institutions Award; the Innovative Individual Award, which includes the Distinguished Research Award and the Youth Award; and the Innovative Crisis Solutions Award.
Jacobo Nunez, Director and Founder of Agua Para El Pueblo, Honduras, one of two first-place winners of the Innovative Projects Award in the Large Projects category in the third cycle of the award, said, “The award provided visibility to our technology, making it known internationally, which has allowed it to be considered by national and international cooperators as a solution to the water quality problem in our country and abroad.
“Prior to winning the award, the technology had reached an estimated 96,000 people over an 18-year period in Honduras and Nicaragua. From the award, we estimate that in the period of 3 years, we will be reaching 25,000 more people incorporating countries such as Panama, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.”
Quentin Ragetly, CEO of OSMOSUN, France, winner of the Innovative Crisis Solutions Award in the third cycle of the award, “Thanks to the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award, OSMO-WATT had gained significant visibility on the emergency sector. We have since developed partnerships with different relief aid organisations and foundations such as the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. The award has enabled us to fund our future projects to realise our vision ‘Create Water Where Life Is’.”
Linda L. Donald, Co-founder and Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Easy Water for Everyone, USA, second place winners of the Innovative Projects Award in the Small Projects category in the third cycle of the award, said, “Thanks to the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award, we have expanded into three new communities in Ghana. We have invested the award’s resources to develop our winning device and integrated solar-powered pumps into its system. The award has been instrumental in addressing water scarcity within the communities.”