Water resilience in cities Challenge

CAF -Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-, within the framework of its 10th Water Dialogues Spain – LAC, invites you to participate in this challenge that seeks to promote and reward projects that improve water resilience in the urban environment, with innovative solutions and practices, which includes a systemic approach, and which allows facing water-related challenges (floods, droughts and contamination of water bodies); through actions that contemplate the care of the population, infrastructure and the environment.

Water resilience is a key concept for water management in cities, which implies the ability to prepare, resist, and recover from water-related challenges and crises. This involves a systemic approach to addressing global water challenges, one that manages both water and sanitation services in a sustainable, inclusive, and efficient manner, as well as the risks associated with water security.

CHALLENGE CATEGORIES 

Projects should focus on one or more of the following areas:

• Urban Flood Management: Solutions to prevent, mitigate, or manage floods in urban areas.
• Water Efficiency: Initiatives to improve rational use and demand management of water resources at the urban level.
• Drought Management: Proposals to ensure and reduce the vulnerability of water supply during periods of scarcity or drought.
• Water Quality: Solutions to protect and improve water quality in urban areas, ensuring its safety and availability for various uses.
• Nature-Based Solutions: A cross-cutting category highlighting the use of NBS to enhance water resilience.
• Technology and Innovation: A cross-cutting category proposing solutions to modernize the management of the integral water cycle processes (automation, sensing, data analysis and management, digital infrastructure, among others).

ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS 

The challenge is open to teams from:

• Public sector: national, regional, municipal governments, and public enterprises.
• Civil society organizations: NGOs, foundations, community organizations, and similar entities.
• Private sector.
• Academic and research institutions: universities and research centers.

AWARDS 

Awards will be presented at the 10th Spain – LAC Water Dialogues event, which will take place on October 17 in Madrid, Spain. A representative from each of the three best-evaluated proposals will attend the event to receive the award. Additionally, each award will be recognized with:

• First Prize: A technical visit to a similar project implemented in a CAF member country, covering travel and accommodation expenses for up to 2 team members. A certificate of recognition and promotion on social media.
• Second Prize: A technical visit to a similar project implemented in a CAF member country, covering travel and accommodation expenses for up to 2 team members. A certificate of recognition and promotion on social media.
• Third Prize: A certificate of recognition and promotion on social media.

CONTEST RESULTS

CAF is pleased with the enthusiastic participation in the contest, having received over 240 applications.

After a rigorous analysis of the eligible proposals, from 17 CAF member countries, we are pleased to announce the proposals that, in line with the criteria established in the guidelines and the decision of the Evaluation Committee, stand out for their quality, innovation, impact, and sustainability perspective.

CAF announces the winning proposals:

1st Prize: "Rain Forests" (Chile)
Recovery of degraded green areas through nature-based solutions to provide ecosystem services, reduce water consumption, and address the water crisis in Santiago, Chile.

2nd Prize: "Sponge Flower Beds" (Brazil)
Reduction of stormwater volume directed towards flood-prone areas by transforming impervious areas into highly porous, permeable flower beds, complemented with suitable vegetation.

3rd Prize: "Floating Green Filter Technology (FGF)" (Peru)
Improvement of water quality and strengthening water resilience in peri-urban and rural areas of Peru by rehabilitating oxidation ponds using Nature-Based Solutions (NBS).

A representative from each winning proposal will be invited to receive the award from high-ranking authorities on October 17th, as part of the 10th Water Dialogues in Madrid, Spain.

Let's keep building a more inclusive, developed region with greater water resilience capacity, towards a sustainable future.