8th edition of the "Water4Future" Hackathon dedicated to water resources to find innovative solutions

[Press release] - Published on February 13, 2026 in Press Room

The Water4Future Student Hackathon 2025, organized by the UNESCO International Center ICIREWARD and the University of Montpellier, will take place on February 26 and 27. It will bring together 800 students from 66 universities and engineering schools, representing 22 countries from around the world. The students will have 48 hours to develop an innovative project with a positive social and environmental impact.

An important event

Over the course of two days, students from around the world will develop innovative projects addressing issues related to water. As in previous years, participants will discover the theme 48 hours before the event begins. This hybrid innovation competition is organized by the UNESCO ICIREWARD International Center in Montpellier, which is dedicated to continental water. Its aim is to unleash the creativity of future players in the water sector, raise their awareness, give them a voice, and open their minds to the international dimension of water-related issues.

Recent climate events have highlighted the urgency of water-related challenges. Between floods in the north and persistent droughts in the south, exacerbated by pollution, these phenomena remind us of the need for sustainable management of a vital resource, the stakes of which are universal. In this context, the 2026 edition of the W4F Student Hackathon will bring together young people from France (Montpellier, Toulouse, Limoges, Corsica, Reunion Island), Europe (Poland, United Kingdom), and Africa (Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, Djibouti, Burundi, Kenya, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Madagascar, Egypt, and Cameroon). Together, they will brainstorm technical, regulatory, and social solutions for more sustainable water. At the end of the two days, during which they will be supported by experts and professionals, the participants will present their projects to an international jury.

The program for these two days:

• Thursday, February 26: opening at 8 a.m. with official speeches, followed by a day of work for students.
• Friday, February 27: work continues, quarterfinals begin at 2 p.m., semifinals at 4 p.m., and the final at 5 p.m.

The UNESCO ICIREWARD Center

The UNESCO International Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Water Systems Dynamics (ICIREWARD) is the first and only UNESCO research and training center dedicated to continental water in France. Located in Montpellier, it is one of the most important centers of its kind internationally. ICIREWARD brings together and strengthens collaboration between nearly 500 scientists and 180 doctoral students in 18 research laboratories. The Center's scientific community thus forms a rich multidisciplinary and international network to improve understanding of water issues.

The research areas combine hydrological, chemical, and biological sciences with social sciences to provide comprehensive expertise in addressing water resource challenges: availability, quality, sharing, and extreme events (floods, droughts). ICIREWARD works throughout the year with schoolchildren, middle school and high school students, university students, and the general public (e.g., the Water4Future program, "PLOUF" on April 17, 2026, an awareness day for schoolchildren in conjunction with World Water Day).