Mohammad receives water award winners
$1M PRIZE ENCOURAGES SUSTAINABLE, INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO SCARCITY
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, yesterday received 11 winners of the third edition of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award.
The winners were from eight countries — Honduras, India, the Philippines, the US, Kenya, Malaysia, China and France.
The award was launched by Shaikh Mohammad to encourage research centres, individuals, and innovators worldwide to develop sustainable and innovative solutions for water scarcity.
The UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia UAE), under the umbrella of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, oversees the award.
Four main categories
With prize money totalling $1 million, the award includes four primary categories: Innovative Projects Award, Innovative R&D Award, Innovative Individual Award, and Innovative Crisis Solutions Award.
Sheikh Mohammad launched Suqia UAE in 2015 to contribute to solving the global water crisis by developing solutions for water scarcity and providing potable water for communities suffering from water shortages and pollution.
Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Suqia UAE, thanked Shaikh Mohammad for receiving the winners. He said: “We were pleased with the level of participation and the quality of innovations presented by companies, research centres, institutions, and innovators worldwide. We received submissions from 56 countries.”
Suqia UAE has impacted the lives of 13.6 million people in 37 countries, he added.
Water woes
According to the United Nations, one in three people globally does not have access to safe drinking water. Over 2 billion people live in countries where the water supply is inadequate.
Water scarcity takes a more significant toll on women and children because they are often responsible for collecting it. Women and girls spend long hours searching for water; in some countries, children walk several kilometres daily to get water. This entails difficulties and risks, wastes effort and time, and deprives them of access to quality education. Suqia UAE has played a pivotal role in working on sustainable development projects that provide clean water around the world.
Al Tayer thanked Emirates Red Crescent, Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, Dubai Cares, and other organisations for their efforts.