PR85264

STOCKHOLM, August 25, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

Hiroki Matsuhashi and Takuma Miyaki from Japan receive the prestigious 2020

Stockholm Junior Water Prize for their innovation to prevent soil erosion. HRH

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden announced the winners during an online award

ceremony as part of World Water Week At Home [http://www.worldwaterweek.org/ ]

on 25 August.

Stockholm Junior Water Prize

[https://www.siwi.org/prizes/stockholmjuniorwaterprize/ ] is an international

competition where students between 15 and 20 present solutions to major water

challenges.

Hiroki Matsuhashi and Takuma Miyaki have developed a method to control soil

runoff and increase food production, using the traditional Japanese soil

solidification technology Tataki.

"This system is made of only inexpensive natural materials, so it is cheap and

eco-friendly. We would like to spread this system to the world and solve water

and food problems," the duo said in a filmed presentation of their project.  

The Jury noted that: "This year's winners have proven that simple local

solutions can solve water problems in a global context. Through systematic

studies the contestants have developed methods to make water conservation and

soil management more achievable. The contestants effectively combined

scientific knowledge and experimentation to revolutionize the way water is

collected, used, and conserved for agriculture in arid regions."

The winners were announced by HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, the

Prize's Official Patron, who expressed great admiration for all the finalists.

A Diploma of Excellence was awarded to Zoe Gotthold, USA, for a creative

approach to limiting the impact of oil pollution in marine ecosystems. By

isolating the emulsion that forms between spilled oil and seawater she had

found a promising solution and "demonstrated extraordinary knowledge and

perseverance", according to the Jury.

This year, the public could also vote in the People's Choice Award, which went

to Adittya Kumar Chowdhury and Khaled Iftekhar from Bangladesh. They have

developed a low-cost method to purify water with naturally derived poly

glutamic acid and Moringa oleifera seeds.

Stockholm Junior Water Prize has been organized every year since 1997 by

Stockholm International Water Institute, SIWI, with Xylem as Founding Partner.

This year everything was however online, due to Covid-19. "I am humbled by the

fact that many of these projects were developed under the most challenging of

circumstances," said Ania Andersch, manager for Stockholm Junior Water Prize at

SIWI.

Press contact Hawra Daoud, press@siwi.org, +46720-506008

Find photos here. [https://www.siwi.org/press/photos-videos/ ]

SOURCE: Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)