UAE unveils partnership between Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative and XPRIZE
The Prince The President of the State, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was present when the "Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative" and the American "XPRIZE" Foundation announced their partnership.
Under this agreement, the effort will launch the "XPRIZE Competition to Reduce Water Scarcity," with funding totaling $150 million. In order to encourage creative thinkers worldwide to develop practical and long-lasting solutions for raising the effectiveness and affordability of water desalination technologies, the competition is offering awards totaling $119 million.
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative, emphasised the insufficiency of current solutions to combat water scarcity. He stressed the need for innovative approaches to address this pressing issue. The initiative aims to collaborate with international partners to explore, validate, and implement new sustainable solutions with maximum efficiency.
In addition to numerous ministries and officials, luminaries such as His Highness Sheikh Dhiyab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the partnership announcement at Abu Dhabi's historic Naqa Bin Ateej water reservoir. The goal of the Mohamed Bin Zayed Water Initiative is to address the problem of global water scarcity by bringing attention to it on a worldwide scale and offering creative solutions to its problems. Additionally, it aims to promote global collaboration and quicken the creation of environmentally friendly technical solutions that have been tried and true in areas where water shortages are a problem.
Water scarcity affects nearly four billion people annually due to factors such as population growth, infrastructure challenges, pollution, and climate change. Without effective solutions, it could lead to loss of life, humanitarian crises, food insecurity, mass migrations, political unrest, and conflicts over water resources.
Peter Diamandis, Director General of the XPRIZE Foundation, highlighted the global significance of the XPRIZE competition, calling on scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to address water scarcity by harnessing technical innovation. The competition, the largest of its kind, focuses on finding sustainable solutions for water desalination and freshwater production from ocean water.
The partnership with the XPRIZE Foundation aims to stimulate technological innovation and crowdsource viable solutions to ensure abundant water for all. The launch of the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative aligns with the UAE's broader efforts to address global water scarcity, including the publication of a discussion paper titled "Cascading Repercussions: Water Scarcity, the Hidden Threat to World Security and Prosperity."
To learn more about the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative and the XPRIZE competition, visit their respective websites, www.mbzwi.ae and www.xprize.org/water, for detailed information and competition guidelines.
