Stockholm Junior Water Prize

The international Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition brings together the world’s brightest young scientists to encourage their continued interest in water and the environment. Each year, thousands of participants in over 30 countries join national competitions for the chance to represent their nation at the international final held during the World Water Week in Stockholm. During their time in Stockholm, winners of the national competitions receive an opportunity to meet and learn from the present leaders of the global water community and make life-long friendships with international compatriots who share a passion for water and science.

The national and international competitions are 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 international winner receives a USD 5,000 award and a prize sculpture. As a result of the competitions, thousands of young people around the world become interested in water.

Turkey Wins 2009 Stockholm Junior Water Prize
The Stockholm Water Foundation and the Stockholm International Water Institute announced on August 18 Ceren Burçak Dag of Nisantasi, Turkey as the winner of the 2009 Stockholm Junior Water Prize. The young woman won the coveted honour by developing an innovative method for generating energy through piezoelectric pulses from falling rain drops.

"Many young people are concerned about climate change, but few will take action to identify a solution," noted the Stockholm Junior Water Prize Jury in its citation. "Reducing CO2 emissions by developing alternative environment-friendly, renewable energy sources is a specific response to this global problem. This year’s winner had a spark of genius in developing a high tech solution that used PVDF, a smart material with piezoelectric properties, to transfer the kinetic energy of raindrops into electrical energy."

The jury also awarded to Diplomas of Excellence to Emily Elhacham of Israel for her project, Detecting water contamination chemical sensors using metal nanoparticle networks, and Mary Zhao of Canada, for her project, Grasping water: A novel method of inducing precipitation using the Ice Nucleating Protein.

H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is the Patron of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize.

The Stockholm International Water Institute administers both the international Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition and Sweden's national qualifying competition, Svenska Juniorvattenpriset.

ITT Corporation is the global sponsor of the  Stockholm Junior Water Prize.

Programme Contact

 

Ms. Helene Brinkenfeldt
Manager, Stockholm Junior Water Prize
Phone:  +46 8 522 139 85
Fax:      +46 8 522 139 61

Resource

2009 Stockholm Junior Water Prize Finalist Catalogue

See 2009 finalists with their project exhibition

Photos from 2009 award ceremony: click thumnails to download the high-resolution photos (credit: SIWI)