Winners of the Water Changemaker Innovation Awards 2023 are set to be announced on 2 December 2023 during the launch of the High-level Panel Africa Water Investment Action Plan at COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. H.E Mokgweetsi Masisi, President of Botswana, and Chair of the Global Changemakers Award will announce winners. A celebratory hybrid event to showcase the winners will later be held on December 11, 2023, on the sidelines of COP 28.
Winners selected from the list of top 30 finalists of the Water Changemaker Innovation Awards 2023 will be announced in four categories including:
• Inclusion Award
• Scalability award
• Innovation Award
• Investment Matching Award
The announcement will also include that of the Chair’s Innovation, Diversity and Inclusion Recognition Award, and the Youth Water Changemaker Award.
“Through the awards we honour exceptional commitments and leadership in nurturing climate-resilient water investments while spotlighting the most promising innovations destined for scalability and heightened investment. The 2023 awards have showcased a wide range of innovations critical to was climate resilient water and sanitation sector. From the over 300 applications that we received, 30 made it to the Top 30 finalists and now we will announce winners based on their potential for long-lasting impact, innovation, and scalability,” explained Jaehyang So, Chair of the Global Water Partnership Technical Committee (TEC) and Jury of the Water Changemaker Awards.
Launched during the International Asia Water Week in Songsan, South Korea, the Water Changemaker Innovation Awards 2023 focuses on identifying and promoting innovative water and climate-resilient solutions, catering to a world seeking sustainability amidst escalating environmental challenges. Winners of the Innovation Changemakers Award have successfully proven their business models and will receive technical assistance, and for others, seed funding to facilitate the scaling up of their innovations, fortifying their business and investment cases for potential investors.
The Global Water Changemakers Awards 2023 were launched by H.E Mokgweetsi Masisi, President of Botswana, and Chair of the Global Changemakers Award during the UN Water Conference in New York. The Global Water Changemakers Awards 2023 consists of three distinct categories; the Presidential Changemakers Award which acknowledges demonstrated leadership and commitment, the Innovation Changemakers Award which identifies the most promising climate innovations and the Youth Water Changemakers Award which honors those showcasing dedication to social change in the water sector.
During the launch, H.E Masisi presented the Presidential Global Water Changemakers Awards to six incumbent and former Heads of States, recognizing their commitment and leadership in ensuring climate-resilient water security.
Convenors of the Water Changemaker Innovation Awards 2023 include the Global Water Partnership, K-water, the World Bank and the Continental Africa Water Investment Programme. The initiative is also made possible through the support of various partners and sponsors who share the commitment to addressing water-related challenges. Their contributions enable the initiative to recognize and amplify the efforts of these remarkable changemakers. Some of these partners are African Rennaisance Partnership, Ambo Ventures, Saudi Water Partnership Company, Kaist Venture Investment Holdings, Deutsch Kasachische Universitat (German Kazakh University), HIMangel, K-Fund, KAIST Ventures, Mercy Corps Ventures, Yonsei University, WBCSD, Youth Water Network, South South North, Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) and WWF.