$700,000 global water prize competition reopens
Oman Humanitarian Desalination Challenge, 2023
Published: 04:02 PM,Feb 22,2023 | EDITED : 08:02 PM,Feb 22,2023
Ciaran O'Cuinn
Middle East Desalination Research Centre (MEDRC) has announced the opening of
registration for this year’s Oman Humanitarian Desalination Challenge Prize Competition.
The competition is a global water prize that looks to award $700,000 to the person or
team that can invent a small, cheap and easy to use desalination device that would enable
people in emergency situations to single handedly purify salty or contaminated water to a
safe drinking standard.
The latest announcement comes after MEDRC has completed the screening process for all
the 2020-2021 entries and officially declared that no winning device was found.
A joint initiative led by MEDRC and the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and
Innovation, the Oman Humanitarian Desalination Challenge Prize Competition was first
launched in 2018 in Muscat. This is the third time the competition has been open to
competitors. Competitors may be individuals, companies, academic institutions, non-profits
and others.
The complexity of the challenge and the enormity of the cash prize has helped to attract
global attention. MEDRC reports that 48 registrations were received in 2020 from 20
countries. Competitor backgrounds were notably diverse, with leading water research
entities, commercial organisations, entrepreneurs and individual problem solvers all
participating.
Following an initial screening process conducted by MEDRC, 32 qualified teams went on to
participate, 13 of which reached the deadline to submit their entry. One device was tested
by MEDRC and came very close to meeting the competition selection criteria.
On opening the application for 2023, MEDRC Director, Ciarán Ó Cuinn, said, “Current
technologies that turn seawater into fresh water are a miracle. But they are expensive,
energy intensive and involve large-scale industrial processes. That needs to change. The
Oman Humanitarian Challenge is about miniaturising that technology, making it cheaper,
more environmentally sustainable and accessible globally. We're getting scientists and
engineers to focus on delivering a $20, off-grid, handheld device that can desalinate enough
seawater to sustain a human being for 30 days. Delivering this will be a humanitarian and
technological game-changer. Each year we get a little closer. Working with Oman's Ministry
of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, we're determined to close the gap and make
this desalination breakthrough.”
MEDRC has set up a globally representative international panel of experts to assist the
challenge and form the judging panel. They are comprised of representatives from the
funding entities alongside internationally renowned water experts. The online application is
currently open and will close on May 31.
registration for this year’s Oman Humanitarian Desalination Challenge Prize Competition.
The competition is a global water prize that looks to award $700,000 to the person or
team that can invent a small, cheap and easy to use desalination device that would enable
people in emergency situations to single handedly purify salty or contaminated water to a
safe drinking standard.
The latest announcement comes after MEDRC has completed the screening process for all
the 2020-2021 entries and officially declared that no winning device was found.
A joint initiative led by MEDRC and the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and
Innovation, the Oman Humanitarian Desalination Challenge Prize Competition was first
launched in 2018 in Muscat. This is the third time the competition has been open to
competitors. Competitors may be individuals, companies, academic institutions, non-profits
and others.
The complexity of the challenge and the enormity of the cash prize has helped to attract
global attention. MEDRC reports that 48 registrations were received in 2020 from 20
countries. Competitor backgrounds were notably diverse, with leading water research
entities, commercial organisations, entrepreneurs and individual problem solvers all
participating.
Following an initial screening process conducted by MEDRC, 32 qualified teams went on to
participate, 13 of which reached the deadline to submit their entry. One device was tested
by MEDRC and came very close to meeting the competition selection criteria.
On opening the application for 2023, MEDRC Director, Ciarán Ó Cuinn, said, “Current
technologies that turn seawater into fresh water are a miracle. But they are expensive,
energy intensive and involve large-scale industrial processes. That needs to change. The
Oman Humanitarian Challenge is about miniaturising that technology, making it cheaper,
more environmentally sustainable and accessible globally. We're getting scientists and
engineers to focus on delivering a $20, off-grid, handheld device that can desalinate enough
seawater to sustain a human being for 30 days. Delivering this will be a humanitarian and
technological game-changer. Each year we get a little closer. Working with Oman's Ministry
of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, we're determined to close the gap and make
this desalination breakthrough.”
MEDRC has set up a globally representative international panel of experts to assist the
challenge and form the judging panel. They are comprised of representatives from the
funding entities alongside internationally renowned water experts. The online application is
currently open and will close on May 31.