Outstanding Prize for the Bali Water Protection program at the Korean International Water Week!

The Bali Water Protection program communication and fundraising officer, Julien Goalabré has been invited to South Korea to participate to the 2017 World Water Challenge …and he didn’t come back empty handed!

The “Groundwater Recharge Well” has been granted an “Outstanding” trophy and cash prize for the originality and simplicity of this simple, yet efficient way to rapidly replenish depleting water tables. The Word Water Challenge is an annual competition of solutions addressing the worldwide growing water issue. This challenge held within the Korean International Water Week (KIWW) in Gyeongju, South Korea featured the presentation of 10 solutions addressing 10 water problems happening in India, Vietnam, Egypt, Bhutan, Nepal and more. This sample of nations illustrates what NASA Earth Observatory’s hydrologist James Famiglietti said in a 2014 article: “in many parts of the world, in particular in the dry, mid-latitudes, far more water is used than is available on an annual, renewable basis. Precipitation, snowmelt, and stream-flow are no longer enough to supply the multiple, competing demands for society’s water needs”.

(Art exhibition on the theme of water issues)

BWP team applied to this challenge with the recharge wells to offer our idea in order to solve the challenges faced by Ho Chi Min City. While this problem was the most suitable, our solution could have been submitted to solve 2 other problems, illustrating its replicability factor when conditions match. Surely, Bali and Ho Chi Minh are facing very similar issues of depleting water tables and saltwater intrusion while both locations are blessed with rainfall that could be harvested thanks to recharge wells.
These similarities made BWP solution the best contestant to solve the local issues of saltwater intrusion and deficit of water.

This 3 days conference about water was for IDEP the occasion to connect with other solution providers as well as problems bearers and put the Bali Water Protection integrated solution -  Rehabilitation Education Awareness - on the international stage, an important step for the Bali water crisis to be better known, and increase the support it needs to be successful.

Most importantly, it was an amazing opportunity to share with a worldwide audience the issue Bali is facing and how our d solution can be replicated in other parts of the world, and heartwarming to see how passionate people from different origins are tackling the challenges of water protection.

Note: no BWP funds have been used, all costs being paid by the event organizer.