Participants must be students between 13 and 25 years of age. See Who Should Join.

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We cannot live without water. It’s part of everything we do – from the time we wake up until the time we go to bed. Threats like climate change, pollution and aging infrastructure impact our water supplies and security.

Join us in solving water challenges to expand water access and resilience for all!

• Over 8 weeks, solve one of the following Challenge Statements in teams of up to 5 students
  
  
• Share and create ideas with people around the world
  
  
• Learn and develop new skills through industry experts mentoring
  
  
• Test your skills and develop groundbreaking ideas
  
  
• Join the Water MasterClass, a series of engaging video classes, to learn a range of important water topics from water sustainability to design thinking.

This year, teams will first choose a problem statement to work on. Once your team has chosen one of the two problem statements, your team will then select one challenge statement to work on.

Glacier loss due to accelerated climate change is rapidly depleting freshwater reserves, contributing to rising sea levels, and threatening food and water security globally.

As glaciers melt at unprecedented rates, the consequences ripple across ecosystems, communities, and economies. The loss of glaciers not only reduces the global supply of freshwater but also contributes significantly to rising sea levels, which threaten coastal populations, infrastructure, and ecosystems. These changes affect food security in regions dependent on glacial meltwater for irrigation and pose risks to millions of people living in coastal areas, facing flooding, displacement, and erosion. Addressing glacier loss requires urgent action to mitigate climate change, adapt to its consequences, and create sustainable solutions to safeguard water resources and protect vulnerable communities.

Problem Statement #1

Problem Statement #2

Increasing water-related disasters due to climate change require improved water management, resilient infrastructure, and coordinated DRR strategies to protect vulnerable communities.

Water-related disasters, such as floods, droughts, and storms, are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change, posing significant risks to communities worldwide. These disasters lead to substantial economic losses, infrastructure damage, and loss of life. Floods alone have caused economic losses of approximately $115 billion annually, while droughts have resulted in 650,000 deaths over the past 50 years. Poor water management and inadequate infrastructure exacerbate the impacts of these disasters, particularly in urban areas experiencing rapid population growth. Effective disaster risk reduction strategies, including improved water governance, early warning systems, and resilient infrastructure, are essential to mitigate the impacts of water-related disasters and enhance community resilience. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated efforts at local, national, and global levels to ensure sustainable development and protect vulnerable populations.

Challenge #1 - Technical

Develop a tool or platform that enhances disaster resilience through improved water management. 

Your solution should integrate innovative and technological platforms such as AI, IoT, or data-driven analytics to predict, mitigate, or respond to water-related disasters like floods, droughts, and storms. Additionally, incorporate sustainable finance mechanisms to ensure long-term viability and impact, while leveraging multi-sector approaches that engage governments, private enterprises, and local communities

Challenge #2 - Technical

Design technologies or systems to track, mitigate, or adapt to the impacts of glacier loss and rising sea levels.

• Tracking: Develop systems to monitor glacier health, sea level rise, or water availability using data and sensors.

• Mitigating: Create solutions to reduce glacier loss or protect against its effects, such as stabilization technologies.

• Adapting: Design infrastructure to help communities cope with rising seas and dwindling freshwater.

Challenge #3 - Social

Choose one problem statement and develop a platform, community-driven initiative, or social campaign that will help promote solutions to your selected water-related issue.

Employ innovative communication strategies, grassroots engagement, and inclusive partnerships to promote climate adaptation, sustainable water practices, and disaster preparedness. The goal is to equip individuals and communities with the knowledge and resources needed to enhance water security and resilience in the face of a changing climate.

For students enrolled in:

• College or university bachelors programs
• Community college
• Vocational schools
• Polytechnics
• Coding bootcamps
• Other tertiary or post-secondary schools or equivalent

For students enrolled in:

• High school
• Secondary school
• Pre-university or equivalent

Participants must be at least 13 years of age and no older than 25 years of age at the time of the challenge start, April 7, 2025 to participate.

*If a participant is under 18 years of age, a Parent/Guardian Consent & Release form, which can be obtained during registration, must be submitted. Failure to do so will end in disqualification of participation at the Xylem Global Student Innovation Challenge 2025.

Your projects will be judged on the following criteria:

Will this solution have a far reach and market potential?

How does it affect your community or what social impact does it have?

How relevant is the proposed solution to the stated challenge?

How well does it solve the problem in a real-world setting?

Is the project new and disruptive?

Does the project deliver a fresh and compelling user experience?

Water Master Class:

On Demand

Xylem's Water Master Class videos for students to learn about global water challenges and solutions. Guest speakers include Al Cho, SVP, Chief Strategy and Digital Officer for Xylem and George Hawkins, former CEO of DC Water.

Innovation Challenge Kick Off:

Monday | April 7 | Time To be Announced Soon

Opening Ceremony and Innovation Challenge Overview. Learn about the innovation challenge, how to win an innovation challenge, and presentation/demo tips.

Problem and Challenge Statement Webinars:

Webinar Date to be Announced Soon!

(Challenge Statement #1)

Webinar Date to be Announced Soon!

(Challenge Statement #2)

Webinar Date to be Announced Soon!

(Challenge Statement #3)

Innovation Challenge Begins!

Monday | April 7, 2025

Background resources and data are released for the four challenge statements. Have fun innovating!

Team Formation Webinar

Wednesday | April 9, 2025

Join this webinar to find teammates for your project.

Project Deadline:

Friday | June 6, 2025

All final presentation videos and projects must be submitted by 1:00pm PT / 4:00pm ET / 8:00pm UTC in order to qualify for the innovation challenge. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Judging

June 6 - July 7, 2025

Judging dates may be adjusted within reason, depending on the number of submissions we receive.

Winners Announcement

July 7th, 2025 | Tentatively

Team Uplift: Urban Predictive Learning Implemented Flood Tracking

Surya Tallavarjula – California, USA

“The problem was to find a way to predict flooding events given rainfall discharge and gage height data. I used machine learning to predict flooding severity based on these factors. I created an app where the user can input values for discharge, gage height, rainfall and the output is flood prediction.

I think that challenge is a valuable opportunity for us students to showcase our ideas and actually use our skills to tackle real-world problems."

Team H2Optimizer: Kickstarting Water’s Race to Net Zero

Tan Li, Jocelyn, Ch’ng Jing, Lin Yong, Ong Wei - Malaysia

“We propose to combat the greenhouse gas emissions in a Malaysian wastewater treatment plant with a combination of Floating Solar Panels, thus reducing reliance on burning of fossil fuel and natural gas to generate electricity, Sludge Processing to generate energy in the form of biogas, and Aeration & Monitoring System.

We hope that through the implementation of our strategies we would be able to achieve the vision of Net Zero in the near future.”

Team AquaFlo: Keeping Water Flowing in Rural Communities

Judy, Kate, Safa, Da Yun, Kai – Canada

An estimated ⅓ of the hand-pumps in Sub-Saharan Africa are out of service at any given time and stay down due to limited information. Our app and SMS/IVR system act as a one-stop-shop for everything related to hand-pump troubleshooting and reporting. As a team passionate about using technology for social good, this challenge statement allowed us to impact and improve the quality of life for a large population.

Check out the winners' pitches for the 2024 edition!

The Grand Winner for the High School Track

The Grand Winner for the University Track

Curious For More?

Discover more about Xylem and the Global Student Innovation Challenge!

Watch the full 2024 Final Webinar

Wave of Action by Xylem

Get inspired and take a leaf out of the winners' book!

Learn about how you can help millions access to clean drinking water and to safely managed sanitation services!

Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology company committed to solving critical water and infrastructure challenges with innovation. Our 17,000 diverse employees delivered revenue of $5.2 billion in 2021. We are creating a more sustainable world by enabling our customers to optimize water and resource management and helping communities in more than 150 countries become water secure. Join us at www.xylem.com.

Xylem Ignite is our global youth program to build a strong network of passionate student leaders and empower them to drive real changes in the water industry.

We recognize the mounting environmental challenges impacting humankind and the need to prepare the next generation of young talents to solve water issues. Under our 3 key program pillars – Innovation, Education & Community Involvement, many activities ranging from hackathons to the Incubator program, are held to enroll, ignite and nurture our NextGen Water Leaders.

It is a critical moment in time for water, but also one with incredible new opportunities. If you’re passionate about solving water, we welcome you to join our activities!

If you have any questions regarding the challenge and eligibility, please reach out to us immediately!

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