Hungary has joined the Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) in 2013. National organizer of the SJWP is GWP Hungary Foundation in agreement with the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). The patron of the Hungarian competition Mr. János Áder President of the Republic.
The SJWP is open to young people between the age of 15 and 20, who have conducted water-related projects focusing on local, regional, national or global topics of environmental, scientific, social or technological importance.
The Stockholm Junior Water Prize consists of two parts: the National Competition and the International Final. All participating countries start off arranging their own National Competition. The winner proceeds to the International Final held at the World Water Week in Stockholm.
For the 2015 Hungarian National Competition 15 entries have been received. Altogether 36 secondary school students were involved, including individual contestants, two and three member teams as well.
The projects were written in English, according to the requirements of the call and dealt with different topics, like surface water bodies, groundwater, wetlands, drinking water, industrial pollution, local issues and global challenges as well.
Jury chaired by Professor László Somlyódy member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences screened all projects using the same criteria as for the international final in Stockholm (Relevance, Creativity, Methodology, Subject Knowledge, Practical Skills, Report and Presentation).
Other members of the jury are leading experts of the Hungarian water sector. The jury selected five entries for the national final held on 30 May 2015 in the premises of Hungarian Water Utility Association (MaVíz).
The finalists were requested to prepare a poster displaying the results of their project. During the final the contestants presented their main findings and answered to the jury's questions. Approximately 15 minutes time per team was allocated. Presentations and interviews were conducted in English.
The winner is a team of three students of the Városmajori Grammar School in Budapest – Márton Czikkely, Tamás Gergely Iványi and Tamás Márkus from Városmajori Grammar School. Their project "The Secrets of Drinking Water" deals with four innovative proposals on how to avoid overuse of bottled water that could be applied worldwide.
The second place goes to Eszter Faragó, Mirtill Rohonczi and Lili Weich from Dombóvári Illyés Gyula Grammar School for their team work "Local nitrate contamination as a worldwide environmental problem".
The third place was awarded to Richárd Abuczki, Ferenc Szalisznyó and Gábor Takács from Petrik Lajos Vocational School for their wetlands project "Water budget - the prospects of rehabilitation of Mocsárosdűlő". All finalists received diplomas and recognition on stage.
The winner team will represent Hungary in the international final that will take place during World Water Week on 23-28 August 2015 in Stockholm, Sweden.
The following financial and professional partners supported the Stockholm Junior Water Prize 2015 in Hungary: MAVÍZ Water for Life Foundation, GE Water & Process Technologies, Budapest Waterworks, Xylem Hungary, Hungarian Wastewater Association, Public Utility Evaluation Cluster, Grundfos, Ministry of Interior, Hungarian Hydrological Society, Hungarian Water Utility Association, Budapest Zoo, Budapest Spa, Danube Museum, Ministry of Human Resources and eisberg.
Photo credit: GWP Hungary