Some of the most notable nominated projects found value in social design to make cities more livable in the future. Greenfluidics (Mexico) transforms urban spaces into sustainable ecosystems with innovative solar biopanels that purify air and generate clean energy, to provide urban lungs for cities. Similarly, Breathe Easy (India) highlights the importance of reframing the question around what a city needs. The project revives traditional building techniques to relieve indoor air pollution in low-income Delhi homes.
Another common thread is a focus on education and awareness campaigns to encourage climate action. The Revival (Ghana) integrated awareness campaigns and upcycling initiatives to divert over 1 million garments from landfills and oceans. Similarly, Captain Fanplastic (South Africa) aims to raise environmental literacy that drives behavioural change in order to connect more youth to their environment, prevent plastic pollution and manage waste better.
Other projects focused on learning from nature as well as how to restore and regenerate it, such as Fabulous Fungi (the Netherland) which offers a solution to one of the major problems in the fashion industry; the use of synthetic textile dyes. The project uses biodegradable fungi-based pigments as alternatives to synthetic textile dyes. Textile Agroforestry (Brazil) showcases how people can reconnect to nature through agroforestry. The project collaborates with smallholder farmers to produce cotton with agroforestry, which combines a diversity of species to collaborate with each other, enhances ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and water availability.
What’s next for the nominees?
All 33 nominated projects can now be viewed online via the Challenge platform. Over the next month, an international jury will review their projects and announce 10 winning projects across all categories on 28 May.Winners will receive €5.000 in funding and launch into a full-steam-ahead development programme, which includes the opportunity to present their projects at the upcoming WDCD Live event in Amsterdam.
