The Water Research Commission (WRC) will be hosting a virtual COVID-19 Hack4Water hackathon aimed at finding digital and tech-based solutions to water and sanitation challenges during the pandemic.
The 48-hour tournament is open to all youth who are 16 years and older with a background in design, coding, entrepreneurship, including data science and engineering students currently busy with their honours or masters degrees.
Participants are encouraged to enter as individuals and forms teams in the competition. Teams of five to seven members can choose between two challenges focussing on health and safety, knowledge dissemination and behavioural change.
The two COVID-19 centred challenges to choose from:
- Using machine learning and data science to solve a water and sanitation challenge
- Using tech to improve communication and drive behavioural change
The WRC’s knowledge management and communication executive manager Khosi Jonas says previous hackathons have shown the Commission that hackathons can be explored as an alternative problem-solving strategy for the water sector.
Jonas adds that while an AI and robotics mentor is still needed to volunteer for the hackathon, industry experts in various fields including ICT, engineering, research and hydrology will be on hand to guide teams through topics such as protecting intellectual property and how to ‘elevate your pitch’.
Prizes to be won include organisational support for winning teams in further developing and implementing their solutions.
Registrations for the WRC COVID-19 Hack4Water hackathon close on 5 July at 16:00.
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