Organizations including World Bank to distribute rewards to save the Aral Sea
- World Bank, global organizations announce multiple reward of US$4,000 to save the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan
- The Global Disruptive Tech Challenge will support disruptive technologies that offer a real possibility to help preserve and protect the Aral Sea
- The Aral Sea in Central Asia was once the world’s fourth-largest inland water body and almost disappeared due to more than 30 years of overuse of its resources to grow water-intensive crops, such as cotton and rice
- Selected proposals will be included in a report on key innovations for landscape restoration, to be published online by the World Bank
The World Bank, the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), Plug and Play, and the Kazakh-German University (DKU) are calling for proposals from innovators around the world to submit their ideas in the ‘Global Disruptive Tech Challenge 2021: Restoring Landscapes in the Aral Sea Region’.
The Challenge is designed to emphasize the critical importance of disruptive technology to shift the paradigm of landscape degradation in the Aral Sea; this world’s fourth-largest inland water body that has almost disappeared due to more than 30 years of overuse of its resources to grow water-intensive crops, such as cotton and rice.
The Challenge will select proposals (individuals or entities) from around the world that address the key focus themes: Agriculture and Land Management, Sustainable Forestry, Socio-Economic Development, and Information and Knowledge.
Winning proposals will receive:
- A monetary award of up to US$4,000. The decision on the final amount is pending.
- An invitation to participate in a 4-month Mentorship Program sponsored by the World Bank, Plug and Play, Kazakh-German University (DKU), the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), and other partners. Shortlisted participants will be interacting with the key partners from world leading venture capitalist firms, accelerators, governments and World Bank officials.
- The opportunity to share their ideas with a global audience during the live online challenge event when they present their findings and ideas to a panel of prominent experts from top international institutions in a Shark Tank format.
- Inclusion in a report on key innovations for landscape restoration, to be published online by the World Bank and other prominent partners.
- A feature in key media outlets in connection with the Challenge, the World Bank and other partners.
The application period for the Challenge closes 15 January, 2021, and selection of the short-listed candidates will occur from 18-24 January. Short-listed candidates, chosen by an expert jury, will be announced in January 2021.
The Challenge is supported by the Central Asia Water and Energy Program (CAWEP) and is part of the World Bank Resilient Landscape in Central Asia (RESILAND CA+) Program.
For more information:
Balzhan Zhumagazina
Project Coordinator
zhumagazina@dku.kz
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