CAIRO: In an effort to generate new and innovative ways to deal with Egypt's water-related problems, the American University of Cairo was host last weekend to a World Bank initiative known globally as a ‘Water Hackathon.' In collaboration with the Desert Development Centre (DDC), participants were called on to brainstorm and develop potential solutions to the issue through the use of software and programming. One such issue that was discussed included mobile alert systems for water overconsumption and a point system when quotas are held. The Water Hackathon is a global initiative known as ‘random hacks of kindness.' The event is a first of its kind in the world and has seen an incredibly diverse group of participants. According to the innovation consultant of the World Bank, Katherine Maher, the turnout was very positive “and the participants came from a wide variety of Egyptian society. Each team had two days to brainstorm and create models. In all twelve teams were present during the final round of judge voting. On the second day the teams were given five minutes to pitch their ideas, and another five minutes answering questions from the panel of judges which were comprised of technology experts, water experts, and end users. In addition to Cairo, Water Hackathons are taking place globally in major cities such as Bangalore, London, Washington DC and Tel-Aviv. The winning team in the Cairo Water Hackathon was ‘Salt and Rocks,' a group of three Egyptian students who gathered the day before the event was held and decided to collaborate. Salt and Rocks' project was to use ICT to automate the current process that connects the Ministry of Agriculture, farmers and the telecommunications sector. The suggested application would in effect plan, monitor and regulate the water distribution system. Farmers would have direct contact established with the Agriculture Ministry and be notified of their water consumption rates on a daily basis. This new system would mean that both the farmers and the Agriculture Ministry would be involved in establishing this new plan. “We are very passionate about this issue,” said Amahdy AbdelAziz, one of the three members of Salt and Rocks to Bikyamasr.com. “We want to start a company and begin implementing these changes.” The three members, AbdelAziz, Mina Rady and Naghan Osman had met the day before the final submission date. “We did not know each other, but we were all there,” said Osman to Bikyamasr.com. “After we met we decided to team up and enter the competition.” First place was awarded $4,000 in funding and has brought their innovation to the limelight. All three members expressed their desire to tackle Egypts growing water concerns, and to develop new methods of water conservation which could stave off major problems for the daily lives of Egyptians in the future. “There are obviously bigger issues out there,” Maher told Bikyamasr.com. “What we want to see is a range of innovations for the smaller, yet still crucial, problems facing society today,” she added. “We would love to do this again sometime in the future, we just need to see how this one pans out globally.” BM
