This archive report was first published on 29 November 2019.
As the world grapples with the challenges of water scarcity, Kenya is no exception. Over 50% of the world's cities and 75% of all irrigated farms are experiencing water shortages on a recurring basis, and climate shifts are exacerbating the problem. In response, IBM has launched the IBM Digital - Nation Africa: Smart Water Challenge, a competition that seeks to improve the management, monitoring, and forecasting of water availability and quality.
The challenge drew over 200 Kenyan student developers, who submitted 38 proposals as individuals or teams. The top eight teams then presented their pitches in-person to IBM experts at IBM Nairobi offices. The winning team, Greatest of All Time (GOAT), impressed the judges with their solution that uses IoT sensors for preventative maintenance of possible water pipe bursts and desalination of water from two aquifers discovered in Turkana.
Team GOAT consists of five students from Kenyatta University, University of Nairobi, and Strathmore University. Their project aims to sustain tens of thousands of barrels of water per day for the largely dry region by keeping the piping system fully functional and desalinizing water that was previously undrinkable for human consumption. The team's Environmental Scientist and Solar Desalinator Innovator, Sam Nyamwange, expressed his hope that their innovation will be implemented and rolled out in northern Kenya, where most people continue to suffer from water shortages.
Each member of the winning team will be offered paid internships with IBM in Nairobi, provided they meet standard IBM internship terms and conditions. The team will also work with expert IBMers deployed by the IBM Service Corps to explore opportunities for further development and deployment of their proposed solution to address clean water needs in Kenya.
IBM's global effort to foster an inclusive approach to quality education and skills, while using technology to tackle urgent public needs, is reflected in the Smart Water Challenge. This is part of IBM Digital – Nation Africa, which provides 21st-century job skills development opportunities across Africa. The work is also connected to Code and Response, a multi-year $25m program dedicated to the creation and deployment of solutions powered by open source technology to tackle the world's biggest challenges.
