Tech Challenge Disrupts The Status Quo With Innovative Restoration Approaches In Aral Sea Region

DID YOU KNOW that the Aral Sea in Central Asia, once the world’s fourth-largest inland water body, has almost disappeared due to overuse of its water, as well as the planet’s climate crisis? The destruction of this once-vast water body is endangering the livelihoods and food security of 40 million people who live in the region. Declining groundwater levels and saline soil in this area demand use of water-saving technologies, crop diversification, and high-efficiency irrigation to ensure adequate food security. Innovations in landscape restoration, particularly in agriculture, are essential. Such positive change is possible with the help of creative technologies and innovative approaches to alleviate the impacts on ecosystems and answer the needs of both economic and sustainable development.

WHAT’S HAPPENING? Happening now, the week-long Global Disruptive Tech Challenge 2021 will help us find solutions to the crisis in the Aral Sea region by identifying and supporting technologies that disrupt the status quo and provide innovative approaches to landscape restoration in the Aral Sea region and Central Asia more broadly.

The Challenge has four overarching themes: Sustainable Forestry, Agriculture and Land Management, Socio-Economic Development, and Information and Knowledge. Proposed solutions include recycling in forestry, collecting meltwater for irrigation, regenerative agroforestry, restoring saline lands, remote sensing technology, artificial intelligence, and capacity building for women in land and water management.

An updated fact sheet on the Aral Sea basin can be found in the Press Center.

HOW TO JOIN IN? Listen, watch, and participate in Challenge Week live now until 9 April 2021. Grab a front-row seat as 24 teams of innovators from around the world present their disruptive solutions to help save the disappearing Aral Sea. Judge for yourself, along with the expert international jury as they evaluate and select the winning proposals.

Seize this chance to network with fellow participants, connect with world-leading environmental and developmental institutions, regional organizations and universities, and the global landscape restoration community.

WHAT WILL WE SEE?

• Pitching in a Shark Tank: Pitching sessions in two challenge categories each day, organized in a shark tank-format, with a 5-minute presentation and a 5-minute Q&A session per pitch. Each category will include a jury panel composed of five members.
• Side events: Events involving complementary themes, from innovation to culture and business, will be ongoing throughout the five-day Challenge. Join in on sessions such as “Youth and Innovative Eco-startups” and “Visit, Publish, and Teach About the Aral Sea.”
• The Grand Finale: Featuring an exciting opening roundtable and the announcement of the winners.

THE FINAL WINNERS: The final winners will be announced at the Grand Finale event on 9 April 2021. Authors of the winning proposals will receive US$4,000 and an invitation to participate in a mentorship program.

HEAR THE EXPERTS

• Steven Schonberger, Regional Director for Sustainable Development for Europe and Central Asia, World Bank. An economist who has worked in the public, private and civil society sectors, Schonberger specializes in agricultural development, water resources management, agribusiness and rural and microfinance services. Schonberger has worked with private banks in his native California and with United Nations agencies such as IFAD
• Lilia Burunciuc, Regional Director for Central Asia Region, World Bank, has extensive experience in leading policy dialogue with governments on various aspects of development. She also led the preparation of the first World Bank regional strategy for Central Asia and is a former Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Moldova (the country’s central bank)
• Barbara Janusz-Pawletta, Institute of Natural Resources, Kazakh-German University (DKU) is a lecturer in International Law with an interest in integrated water resource management and water law.
• John Colmey, Managing Director, Global Landscapes Forum, CIFOR-ICRAF
• Mike Zayonc, Vice President, Plug and Play
• Khusniddin Sharofiddinov, Deputy Chairman, Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea
• Sascha Djumena, Country Program Coordinator for Central Asia, World Bank
• Kseniya Lvovsky, Practice Manager for Environment, Natural Resources, and Blue Economy for Europe and Central Asia, World Bank
• Representatives from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Events will occur on Zoom. Sessions will be recorded and streamed. English-Russian simultaneous interpretation will be provided for each session.

The Global Disruptive Tech Challenge is organized by the World Bank with the support of the Central Asia Water and Energy Program (CAWEP) – a multi-donor trust fund financed by the European Union, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom – and is implemented by the Kazakh-German University (DKU), the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), Plug and Play (P&P) and other partner organizations.

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