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Transforming Drought Challenges into Innovative Solutions
After tackling desertification challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa, the innovation leaders’ program is excited to continue to its next destination, this time in the driest place on earth – the Atacama Desert.
Using open-innovation tools and processes we will solve critical drought-related challenges related to:
Water Management;Sustainable Agriculture; Renewable Energy; Infrastructure
Key players from
Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, will come together to foster collaboration and deploy transformative technologies where needed most. The program includes online hands-on training to identify the challenges, followed by a scouting process to source cutting- edge technologies, and a field seminar in Chile to jointly build the collaborations. Eventually, selected projects will receive funding and support for implementation.
If you're a change-maker ready to tackle the most pressing drought challenges in your region—
APPLY: Deadline: February 10th, 2025
This is a joint project of the UNCCD (the UN Convention to Combat Desertification), the Inter-America Development Bank through its Source of Innovation Alliance, and PLANETech Nexus.
Who Should Apply?
Key players from organizations in Peru / Bolivia / Chile / Argentina addressing challenges related to water scarcity
Goals of the program
Learn pilot design tools based on a challenge-centric approach
Discover first-tier desert technologies
Execute open innovation process
Join peer-to-peer learning sessions with key players addressing drought challenges in the region’s innovation ecosystem. Implement innovative solutions in your region
Timeline
December 2024
Program Public Launch
UNCCD COP 16
January 9th -
February 10th 2025
Call for Applications
February 2025
Acceptance Announcement
Online Workshop
March 4th, 2025
SESSION 1 – Challenge Identification Intro
March 11th, 2025
SESSION 2 – Diving Deeper to Challenges and Solutions
March 18th, 2025
SESSION 3 – Building Working Groups
April 1st,2025
SESSION 4 – Pilot Design Tools
April -May 2025
Solution Scouting
Market Square Challenge Publication
June 10th -13th, 2025
DESERT SEMINAR
Chile
June – July 2025
Project Follow-ups
August 2025
Pilots Funding Selection
Previous Cohort
The DeserTech Innovation Leaders program for the Great Green Wall (GGW) was created in 2023 by DeserTech, the UNCCD Global Mechanism, and the GGW accelerator to boost the implementation of the Great Green Wall initiative through technology. Active leaders from 10 Sub-Sahara countries have been working collaboratively from January 2023 - May 2023 in online sessions and a seminar in israel’s Negev, to fight desertification with innovation. The cohort identified the most burning challenges of life under the threat of desertification and drought and met startups and experts to co-develop 16 concrete projects to be implemented in 10 different countries..