The WATER4FUTURE HACKATHON brings together students from around the world

[Press release] - Published on February 10, 2023 in Press Room

Icireward, the UNESCO International Water Center, is organizing the fifth edition of the water4future hackathon on February 16 and 17. The event will bring together 17 countries from Europe, Africa, and North America, with nearly 400 students from 40 universities and engineering schools. The goal is to work simultaneously on current water issues in order to propose innovative projects and solutions within 48 hours.

The W4F Hackathon 2023 in a nutshell

On February 16 and 17, students from around the world will implement innovative projects addressing issues related to water. This year, participants will discover the theme of the 2023 edition 48 hours before the start of the W4F Student Hackathon. This innovation competition is organized by the UNESCO International Center ICIREWARD in Montpellier, a UNESCO center dedicated to water. Its goal is to unleash young people's creativity, raise their awareness, and give them a voice. With the events that took place this summer in France, particularly in the south (extreme drought, water restrictions, etc.), awareness of the effects of climate change is growing. On different scales, freshwater issues affect everyone on every continent, whether they live in cities or in the countryside.

That is why, at the 2023 edition of the W4F Student Hackathon, young people from France (Montpellier, Toulouse, Lille, Valenciennes, Corsica, Reunion Island), Europe (Spain, Hungary, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland), and Africa (Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin, Niger, Cameroon, South Africa) and North America (Canada) will come together to brainstorm technical, regulatory, and/or social solutions. With the support of experts and professionals, their goal is to address a current issue, get involved, and take action for more sustainable water. At the end of the two days, the solutions will be presented to a jury of international professionals who will reward the best projects.

The provisional program

Thursday, February 16, 2023: 9 a.m. – 11 p.m.

• Opening with speeches: University of Montpellier, UNESCO ICIREWARD International Center in Montpellier

Friday, February 17, 2023: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

• Attended by Erik Orsenna, member of the Académie Française
• Presentation by Philippe Augé: time to be determined
• Start of the semifinals: 4:30 p.m.
• Start of the final: 6 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 the collaboration of nearly 400 scientists and 150 doctoral students in 17 research laboratories. The Center's scientific community thus forms a rich multidisciplinary and international network to improve understanding of water issues. Its 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, high school students, university students, and the general public (Water4Future program, March 24, 2023 event, "From New York to Montpellier, everyone mobilized for sustainable water" – more information to come).