The UNESCO ICIREWARD International Centre has developed Water4Future (W4F). This programme is divided into three formats: junior, high school and students.
The student version is an international competition: the Water4Future Students Hackathon. In teams of 5 to 7, they have 48 hours to set up an innovative, technical and social project addressing a water-related issue. Each year highlights a new theme.
The aim is to create a team project, encourage an entrepreneurialspirit, and come up with new tools, technologies or innovative services to protect our environment and improve people's everyday lives.
Find out in pictures what this event looks like and join us for the 2025 edition!
The 7th Water4Future Students Hackathon took place on 20 & 21 February 2025!
🎓This year, 450 students from France, Europe, Africa and North America took part in the event and presented their projects on the theme of ‘Water & Transitions’. The 82 international teams were supported by nearly 70 coaches in various fields: entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, communication, etc.
Following the pitches to the grand jury, we are proud to announce the winners! We would like to thank all the coaches and participants in this 7th edition of the Water4Future Student Hackathon. Find out more about the winning projects via the downloadable document.
🥇 Teams 82 - University of Sherbrooke, Canada
🥈 Team 12 - Diderot Education, France
🥉 Team 8 - EPF Engineering School Montpellier, France
❤️ Teams 15 - Diderot Education, France
The UNESCO ICIREWARD Centre, organiser of the #W4F Student Hackathon, also congratulates its favourite project
❤️ Team 57 - University of Lomé, Togo
🏅 2nd and 3rd place winners receive the W4F - Water Talents prize
Stay tuned, the aftermovie is coming soon!
📧 If you have any questions, please write to the following address: contact@unesco-montpellier.org
The Water4Future Hackathon is included in the list of IHP 50th Anniversary Celebration events !
The year 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and 60 years of UNESCO's dedication to water sciences. Almost since its inception, UNESCO has contributed to advancing water research and management, addressing global water challenges through international cooperation and scientific excellence. The IHP, as UNESCO's flagship water science programme, has played a pivotal role in fostering scientific knowledge, technical innovation, and education in water resources management. This double anniversary represents not just a celebration of past achievements but also highlights UNESCO’s ongoing commitment to ensuring water security for future generations in an era of unprecedented environmental change and growing water demands.
Through five decades of collaborative research, capacity development, and policy support, IHP has brought together scientists, policymakers, and communities worldwide to address pressing water-related challenges. This commemoration of significant IHP milestones reflects on the journey while looking ahead to tackle emerging water challenges in an increasingly complex world.
« La Banque Populaire du Sud, banque coopérative régionale, est présente sur son territoire à travers ses 250 agences. Implantée dans le sud de la France, elle couvre 7 départements : l’Aude, l’Hérault, le Gard, les Pyrénées-Orientales, la Lozère, l’Ardèche et L’Ariège.
Elle propose une large gamme de services bancaires pour les particuliers, les professionnels et les entreprises, incluant des solutions de financement, d’épargne, d’assurance, et de gestion de patrimoine. Grâce à son modèle coopératif, elle associe ses 225 000 sociétaires à sa gestion, favorisant ainsi une approche responsable et participative.
Très engagée dans sa démarche RSE, la Banque Populaire du Sud est également un acteur majeur du financement local, soutenant l’entrepreneuriat et les projets à fort impact social et environnemental. En 2023, elle a créé la marque Banque de la Transition Energétique pour accompagner les projets favorisant une économie à faible émission de carbone pour tous ses clients. A travers son fonds d’investissement Sud Mer Invest, elle accompagne le développement de projets liés à l’économie bleue. Elle fait aussi partie des principaux financeurs des startups de son territoire avec sa filière NextInnov. Ce modèle agile et différenciant, lui permet de jouer un rôle essentiel dans le développement économique et durable de sa région comme l’accompagnement de la problématique de la ressource en Eau qui sera un axe fort de son engagement pour les prochaines années. »
On 15 and 16 February 2024, nearly 450 students from Montpellier, Europe, Africa, North America and South Asia from 40 universities in 20 countries came together for 48 hours. The aim was to set up an innovative and sustainable project on the theme of "Water, Crises & Resilience".
Have a look at the aftermovie !
Following the pitches to the grand jury, we are proud to announce the winners! We would like to thank all the coaches and participants in this 6th edition of the Water4Future Student Hackathon
1st place: Team 10 - Les infiltrés - University of Montpellier, France
2nd place: Team 06 - Charm European University
3rd place: Team 69 - IUT de La Réunion, France
Coup de cœur - crush prize : Team 59 - AquaScan - INRS Québec, Canada
Coup de cœur - crush prize : Team 64 - Dublin City University, Ireland
Public Prize: Team 48 - Enactus - FST Tanger, Morocco
On 18 and 19 February 2022, 230 students from Montpellier, Europe and Africa from 20 universities met to think about innovative and sustainable projects on the theme of "Water and Risks".
Following the pitches in front of the grand jury, we are proud to announce our winners and thank all the coaches and participants who took part in this rich experience.
1st: LIL'EAU project
2nd: SWAF project
3rd: TYPHA project
Coup de ♥: project SAFTER
Audience award: project
