The Junior Water Prize (JWP) was organized by the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Ecology & Environment, the Ministry of Education, Xylem, SIWI and GWP China.
Jury Members Interview Candidates Online
JWP 2021 attracted hundreds of schools and received 200-300 inventions from teenagers in over ten pronvinces. Upon a robust model, the Prize program can always combine social innovation workshops, with mentorship, materials and equipping young people with entrepreneurship skills. Since 2002, annual JWP has cultivated group after group of junior inventors to engage in the innovation and technology application for sustainable water development.
15 shortlisted innovations reflect youth’s passion on water sustainability. Teenagers are eager to dig out effective solutions against water-related challenges. Zhan and Huang, for instance, target at water efficiency in daily life. Replacing the conventional water outlet, their voice-operated system is more human-friendly, economic, and practical. Differ from urban issue, Guangxi students are concerning about water pollution due to the local condition. Their tests and practices reveal that mangrove, woody plant on the coastal beach of South China, is an optimal solution against heavy metals in water. The potential experts invest ecological and environmental values to the treatment of water pollution.
ZHAN and HUANG, Final Winners, Guangdong Province
JWP is the top-ranking water-related academic award that provides opportunities for adolescent girls and boys to participate in processes and decisions that affect them is one of the most effective ways to build their skills and confidence, and to improve their ability to communicate with others.
Xinxiao LI on Wastewater Treatment Improvement, Shandong Province
Participation in social, economic, political and cultural debates not only contributes to civic engagement, but it also enhances adolescents’ ability to hold governments and other duty bearers to account. Adolescents provide invaluable contributions to their families, communities and broader society. Engagement of younger generations in water development is one of GWP’s vows at global, regional and national levels. GWP China is managing to explore junior tech exchange platform to more regions for arriving interregional and global collaboration between junior water developers.