The Aga Khan University (AKU) today hosted the closing ceremony of the 2024 edition of the AKU President’s Challenge for Climate Solutions, marking the culmination of a months-long competition that brought together student innovators from Pakistan, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in a bid to tackle one of the world’s most pressing environmental issues: water.
Launched in 2022, the President’s Challenge for Climate Solutions was born from AKU’s conviction that students must not be bystanders in the fight against climate change. This year’s theme – Every Drop Counts – inspired students to develop practical, scalable ideas that address both water scarcity and excess, as climate change increasingly disrupts global water systems.
“People talk about the critical natural resources that the clean energy transition will require,” said Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin, AKU President and Vice Chancellor. “But the most valuable and most urgently needed resource by far is human creativity – the kind of creativity we are celebrating today. If our award winners are any indication of what is to come, the Global South will enjoy its fair share of future-defining innovation.”
The winning entry, Dropwise Smart Irrigation, came from a team of students in Tanzania who developed a solar-powered, automated irrigation system to tackle water inefficiency in agriculture, where over 40% of irrigation water is lost due to outdated practices. “It wasn’t easy,” said one of the team members. “We juggled classes, proposals, and setbacks with materials and many more. But we never gave up. Young people aren’t just the future, we are the change happening now. One action, one innovation, one drop at a time.”
The first runners-up were from Kenya, whose project Pure Flow offers an innovative, self-powered water purification and monitoring system designed to tackle water pollution in rivers, lakes, dams, and oceans without the need for expensive infrastructure.
The second runners-up position was shared by two teams from Pakistan and Kenya. The Pakistan team developed a Water Absorbent Mat and Filtration System to conserve and recycle greywater from household drains, while the Kenya team proposed Smart Aqua, an AI-powered, solar-driven precision irrigation system that revolutionizes water management in agriculture.
In addition to the University competition, high school students in Karachi took part in a parallel competition, with innovative student ideas presented by 24 schools.
“AKU as an institution is taking bold steps to address climate change,” said Miriam Kugele, Director at AKU’s Environmental Office. “This includes taking responsibility and reducing our emissions, working with partners and incentivising suppliers to accelerate action, and working with our entire university community to transform our daily habits. Climate change requires from us both long-term thinking and pragmatic action today.”
Over the past three years, the President’s Challenge has inspired hundreds of students across AKU campuses to think boldly and act decisively on climate. With creativity, passion and determination, these young changemakers are proving that every drop – and every idea – counts.
