Global Disruptive Tech Challenge 2021:
Restoring Landscapes in the Aral Sea Region
What is the Global Disruptive Tech Challenge 2021?
The Global Disruptive Tech Challenge 2021 aims to identify and support disruptive technologies and innovative approaches to landscape restoration in the Aral Sea region and Central Asia. The Challenge will select innovators (individuals or entities) from around the world to change the lives of millions of people in the Aral Sea region. Proposals obtaining the best scores will obtain recognition and awards, including a monetary award of up to US $4,000 and an invitation to participate in a 4-month Mentorship Program.
This is your opportunity to help change millions of lives, while showcasing your innovative idea before a global audience. Join the Challenge, get recognition from experts and international organizations, and become part of a restoration community
Why The Aral Sea Region?
The Aral Sea in Central Asia, once the world’s fourth-largest inland water body, has almost disappeared due to more than 30 years of overuse of its resources to grow water-intensive crops, such as cotton and rice. This dramatic change has led to a steep decline in the environmental, social, and economic well-being of the region.
The situation has been further impacted by global climate change, which is already affecting the livelihoods of more than four million people who live in the disaster zone. That covers a significant part of Uzbekistan and the southern part of Kazakhstan; in total, 40 million people live in the Aral Sea basin and might be affected further by the disaster there.
Moreover, salt from the Aral Sea is found far beyond this region, including in Scandinavia and Antarctica. Every year, winds carry some 150 million tons of salt – often toxic due to pesticides and fertilizers used in intensive farming – from the Aral Sea over hundreds of thousands kilometers.
Why Disruptive Technologies?
Innovative technologies and approaches have the power to substantially “disrupt” the status quo of development paradigms. Disruptive technologies can help alleviate the negative impacts on landscapes from natural and human induced factors, while also addressing the needs of economic growth and sustainable development.
Innovators are invited to propose their disruptive and innovative solutions to landscape restoration issues in the Aral Sea region with the potential to scale-up in the entire Central Asia (from the mountains to the steppes).
WHAT ARE THE FOCUS THEMES?
Land resources, along with other natural resources, are the foundation of existence and development of mankind. Despite the unconditional importance of land resources for human and societal well-being, the amount of land which is characterized by a decrease or complete loss of its biological and economic productivity continues to increase. This happens due to a number of factors, including unsustainable agricultural and forestry practices, climate change, urban sprawl, infrastructure development, and a mining boom.
This Challenge evolves around four focus themes:
Solutions that contribute to sustainable development, e.g. sustainable land management, irrigated and rainfed agriculture, grazing land/pastures, water saving and irrigation, and cost-effective technologies to rehabilitate degraded lands.
This section refers to the disruptive technologies and innovations for sustainable forestry, as well as solutions within the forestry supply chain, to preserve biological diversity, productivity, resilience, viability and the ability of forests to perform important environmental, economic and social functions.
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Focuses on solutions that link local communities with innovations for landscape restoration; e.g. improvement of current livelihoods and creating new livelihoods; cooperation and social sustainability; tourism, well-being, public health and other innovative financial and economic instruments, enabling communities to improve their welfare while restoring the landscape.
Landscape restoration solutions that leverage data, remote sensing and mapping technologies, precise agriculture tools, and computing power to enable data-driven decisions by policy makers, public agencies, private service providers, and other users of the landscape.
Winners
Congratulations to all the inspiring proposals that were submitted as part of the Global Disruptive Tech Challenge 2021! We are pleased to announce the winners of the Challenge:
Sustainable Forestry
- The Winner
Project Title:
Aral Honey Gardens
Team member:
Natalya Akinshina; Azamat Azizov
Country:
Uzbekistan
- The Rising Star
Project Title:
A sea within a seed: Regenerative agroforestry solutions for landscape restoration
Team member:
Nigora Isamiddinova; Neal Spackman; Mehemed Bougsea
Country:
Uzbekistan
Watch the recording here
Agriculture and Land Management
- The Winner
Project Title:
Transforming salty lands into rich agricultural landscapes by NETICS patented GEOWALL® land cultivating technology
Team member:
Ewoud Volbeda; Hugo Ekkelenkamp; Michel Zuijderwijk; Herman Mondeel
Country:
Netherlands
- The Rising Star
Project Title:
Nutritive Hydrogel for water preservation & Land, soil aeration
Team member:
Zharkyn Imanakunova; Yann Le Coz; Jordan Obri
Country:
Kyrgyzstan
Watch the recording here
Socio-economic Development
- The Winner
Project Title:
Capacity-building of women on rationale and effective water and land management on the base of Women Water Forum
Team member:
Rasulova Khairiniso; Bobokhanova Muyasara; Tulieva Shohida; Makhmudova Farzona
Country:
Tajikistan
- The Rising Star
Project Title:
Aral basin news on the YouTube channel “Land and Water CA”
Team member:
Andrey V. Mitusov; Beknazar Ziyabidin; Mehrojiddin Rajabov; Zhaniya Khaibullina
Country:
Germany
Watch the recording here
Information and Knowledge
- The Winner
Project Title:
Sentinels for Sustainable Pasture management: Application in the Aral Sea region and Central Asia (SenSPaApp)
Team member:
Emmanouel Tsiros; Apostolos Karteris; Dimitra Rapti; Ioannis Kapanidis
Country:
Greece
- The Rising Star
Project Title:
Remote sensing of degraded lands using drones will make it possible to assess the germination of crops and monitor the quality of the crop
Team member:
Maksat Tuganbekov; Tamenov Timur
Country:
Kazakhstan
- The Rising Star
Project Title:
PRO-access: provide open-access information services for better land and water management
Team member:
Annemarie Klaasse; Mechteld Andriessen
Country:
Netherlands
Watch the recording here
CHALLENGE INFORMATION
Application process
Eligibility criteria
Challenge submissions
Program steps
FAQ
Rewards and recognition
Application process
Call for proposals is now closed
Eligibility criteria
This Challenge is open to participants (“Contestant”) from member countries of the World Bank. Contestants may be individuals or organizations (profit, non-profit organizations, academia). Contestants are responsible for compliance with legal requirements of their country. They are invited to pitch their solutions on innovative landscape restoration. Also, solutions at minimum viable products (MVP) to more developed stages (e.g. already fully commercialized) are eligible for the challenge.
Also, only solutions that are at minimum viable product (MVP) stage to more developed stages (e.g. already fully commercialized) are eligible for the challenge.
The submitted proposal can be part of different focus themes (e.g. Agriculture – Area 1- and Information & Knowledge – Area 4).
The Challenge is open for both international and Central Asian participants
Individuals:
- Individuals must be of a minimum of 18 years old as of (date of submission)
- An individual or a team may submit entries. Individuals who join teams must meet the eligibility requirements for Individual Contestants
- Any national from a Bank member country can participate
Companies, Organizations, Startups:
- Must be legally established entities (profit, non-profit) in their respective countries
The following are not eligible to join the Challenge: staff, contractors and vendors of the World Bank Group (The World Bank Group consists of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, the International Finance Corporation, the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes.), the members of the Evaluation and Finalist Judging Panel; or any company or individual involved with the design, production, execution or distribution of the Challenge and their immediate family members (spouse, parents and step-parents, siblings and step-siblings, children and step-children, aunt, uncle, niece and nephew).
Participants who are ineligible to receive Bank funds under the Bank’s Anti-Corruption Guidelines, procurement rules, and other rules such as on anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism are ineligible to receive cash or any prize under this Challenge.
Contestants should apply online, providing a description of their project proposals.
For more information, please see the general guidelines for proposals.
Challenge submissions
The Challenge will be hosted online. Submission period begins on November 19, 2020, at 22:00 UTC+6 and ends on January 24, 2021, at 23:59 UTC+6.
The submission form template (in pdf) documents can be used as reference but official submission must be performed online.
Contestants should complete their application through the online registration form.
Structural requirements:
- Submissions must comply with the format provided on the online platform.
- Contestants must fill out the online application form (in English)
- Contestants must attach a completed project proposal (in English)
- Contestants must be available to attend all events, bootcamps and preparatory activities throughout the challenge
- Follow the provided template; all documents must include the name, organization and thematic area chosen;
- Contestants may submit more than one submission. However, overlap between submissions should be avoided, and only one cash prize can be allocated to the same contestant.
- Each submission must be in English. Proposals that do not comply with the structural requirement will not be considered.
The submitted proposal are scored by the following quality criteria:
- Be applicable and relevant to socio-economic and environmental conditions of the Aral Sea watershed (Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan) as well as to World Bank environmental projects under preparation and implementation in Central Asia;
- Demonstrate a potential for scaling-up to other regions of Central Asia (from the mountains to the plains);
- Establish a clear path towards practical application of the solution on the ground (indicative implementation road map / draft business plan);
- Demonstrate positive impacts for local communities (at the environmental and socio-economic levels);
- Identify result’s indicators to monitor and evaluate the proposal outcome over time
Program steps
- Shortlist selection: Submissions which meet the Eligibility and Structural Criteria will be evaluated based on the Quality Criteria by a selection consisting of representatives of partner organizations, representatives of the World Bank, Global Landscapes Forum, DKU and counterpart representatives in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The selection committee will prepare a short list of 12-16 applicants based on the evaluation results.
- Pre-challenge Bootcamp: Shortlisted candidates will receive in-kind support (provided by the Bank and the implementing partners) to prepare for the Challenge day (e.g. technical, business and soft skills trainings, networking, etc.). After completion of the bootcamp, shortlisted candidates will present their projects on the Challenge Day (January 2021), where the finalists will be identified by the Judging Panel.
- Four Challenge winners will be selected during the pitch Session on the Challenge Day by Event (February 2021) in front of the judging panel. The judging panel will consist of representatives of partner organizations, representatives, from the World Bank, Global Landscapes Forum, DKU and counterpart representatives in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as well as experts. The final winners will receive recognition and awards.
KEY DATES:
- Webinar on Restoring Landscapes in the Aral Sea: 15 December 2020
- Questions and Answers session: 21 December 2020
Please share your questions with Balzhan Zhumagazina: zhumagazina@dku.kz with subject “Challenge Q&A”. - Deadline for application: 24 January 2021
- Capacity building program (online): February – March 2021
- Challenge Event (online): 5 – 9 April 2021
- Mentorship program (online): March – June 2021
FAQ
Please find frequently asked questions here.
Rewards and recognition
Candidates with the top 5 submissions for each of the four themes will have the opportunity to share their ideas with a global audience during the live online challenge event when they present their findings and ideas to a panel of prominent experts from top international institutions in a Shark Tank format.
As a shortlisted candidate, your proposal will be included in a report on key innovations for landscape restoration, to be published online by the World Bank and other prominent partners.
Your solution will also be featured in key media outlets in connection with the Challenge, the World Bank and other partners.
The winners of each theme will receive a monetary award of up to approximately US$4,000. The decision on the final amount is pending.
The winners will be invited to participate in a 4-month Mentorship Program sponsored by the World Bank, Plug and Play, Kazakh-German University (DKU), the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), and other partners. Shortlisted participants will be interacting with the key partners from world leading venture capitalist firms, accelerators, governments and World Bank officials.
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Browse our curated selection of knowledge products to learn more about the challenges of degradation in Central Asia, and why landscape restoration is a key part of the solution.
ARAL SEA PROJECTS HUB
Central Asia Resilient Landscape Program - RESILAND CA+
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Kazakhstan Landscape Restoration Project
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Northern Aral Sea Development and Revitalization Project
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Uzbekistan Resilient Landscapes Restoration Project
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Central Asia Resilient Landscape Program - RESILAND CA+
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Kazakhstan Landscape Restoration Project
Click here to find more details or click "Green arrow" on the side to find more options
Northern Aral Sea Development and Revitalization Project
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Uzbekistan Resilient Landscapes Restoration Project
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Central Asia Resilient Landscape Program - RESILAND CA+
Drylands in Central Asia are one of the most rapidly degrading and climate-vulnerable areas in the world. Land degradation is particularly prevalent in border areas, causing acute regional externalities, and has vast economic costs for the Central Asian region. Investing in landscape restoration is critical to address the complex nexus of local livelihoods, land degradation, climate change, environmental security, and economic growth. As noted in the 2019 Special Report on Climate Change and Land of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), restoring degraded landscapes is key to mitigating and adapting to climate change. The RESILAND CA+ Program provides a mechanism for tackling these issues, and, thus, increasing the resilience of landscapes and people in the region. The program includes Kazakhstan Landscape restoration, Northern Aral Sea Development and Revitalization, and Uzbekistan Resilient Landscapes Restoration Projects, among others.
Kazakhstan Landscape Restoration Project
Kazakhstan Landscape Restoration Project aims to pilot farmer-led landscape restoration in targeted degraded landscapes in Kazakhstan. The project will be implemented in several pilot dryland areas in Kyzylorda Region within the Aral Sea Basin and in Zhambyl Region in the south of the country, where both agricultural land and State forests exist, allowing the piloting of “model farms”. The dryland sites within these regions will be selected during project preparation, based on their degree of degradation, economic potential, capacity of local authorities/communities to carry out activities and accept new tools, the biome's diversity and land use types. Site selection aims to avoid duplication with other initiatives.
Northern Aral Sea Development and Revitalization Project
This project aims to improve water resource management in the Northern Aral Sea (NAS)-Syr Darya basin and to plan and develop economic activities based on natural resources in Kyzylorda region, Kazakhstan. The project will improve climate resilience for the Kyzylorda region by providing sustainable water and economic development opportunities based on natural resources for its inhabitants. Project activities would facilitate economic diversification and regional prioritization, further restore the critical ecosystem around the NAS, promote green economic development and support rural livelihoods and small and medium enterprise (SME) development. The project reinforces the positive experience of reversing the decline of the NAS. By supporting sustainable management through water use efficiency and climate-smart farm practices, the project would help build Kazakhstan’s regional development example and contribute to addressing the global environmental crisis.
Uzbekistan Resilient Landscapes Restoration Project
The project will focus on areas in Uzbekistan that border other Central Asian countries within five regions. Landscape restoration interventions will focus on improving connectivity and strengthening transboundary corridors for biodiversity, transport, the eco-hydrological performance of watersheds, and trade. Interventions will be prioritized according to the main drivers of degradation in each area and their relative impact. The project is expected to benefit poor rural communities in the five project regions. It will include private farmers and farmer groups, and resource user groups/communities in villages that are interested in adopting landscape restoration practices. The project will provide technical and financial support to beneficiaries to help implement targeted interventions that will improve livelihoods and increase resilience while also contributing to the restoration of ecosystem functions.
Contact
The challenge is organized with the support of the Central Asia Water and Energy Program (CAWEP) a multi-donor Trust-Fund financed by the European Union, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The challenge is administered by the World Bank and will inform the Resilient Landscape Program in Central Asia RESILAND CA +, currently under preparation. It is implemented by the Kazakh-German University (DKU), the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) and Plug and Play (P&P).