WIL Lebanon 2021 - Waterlution

Developing Water Solutions Within the Context of Climate Change and Mitigation Approaches

WHAT IS WIL?

The Water Innovation Lab, known as WIL, is a front-running, immersive leadership training designed to accelerate collaborative innovation, fast-track global knowledge-sharing and devise new innovations that improve water security. WIL supports emerging leaders (18-35 yrs) to implement Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets connected to water both in their organisations and their projects. WIL develops future water leaders to think holistically, design innovatively, and communicate effectively across cultures.

ENGAGE NOW

3 years
in numbers

125 Participants

20+ Partners

24 Projects

50+ Experts (Mentors)

$30,000 USD
Seed Resources

WATER in LEBANON needs

INNOVATION

Lebanon has long been challenged by inherited instabilities and the urgency of the situation peeked ever since the revolutionary year of 2019. With the growing political, economical,environmental, and social uncertainties, Lebanon calls for structural and holistic changes that intervene for a promising rebound.

Sustainable innovations is the needed change amid a country’s struggles and the drive that contributes to the establishment of regenerative growth. It is, during the critical situations, where individuals should push boundaries to cultivate innovation and develop leadership skills.

WIL Lebanon recognizes the need in Lebanon and the region to support emerging leaders (18-30 years) to accelerate collaborative innovation, share fast-track knowledge, and devise new innovations that improve water security in their organisations and projects while implementing water SDG targets. Our approach is groundbreaking as it is cross-sector, cross-disciplinary, and focused on co-innovation leadership.

Applications are now open.

Applications close June 23, 2021

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WIL Lebanon 2019

Experts were invited to share their experience in round tables with young participants providing stories and lessons learned from their own journeys in order to ground and push the innovations that emerge from teams’ projects

WIL Lebanon 2019

During the field tour, participants had the chance to visit Jeb Jennine wastewater treatment plant in the Bekaa to see on-the-ground management and hear about challenges in handling not only domestic waste water but also industrial waste water (mainly from dairy farms with high organic concentrations).

WIL Lebanon 2019

As part of displaced communities focus from social and infrastructure perspective field tour, participants had an Interactive session with displaced communities at Ghazzeh Camp in Bekaa to understand the reality and complexity of WaSH challenges.

WIL Lebanon 2019

With facilitation at its core, WIL Lebanon enables more female leadership to bridge the gender gap in the Arab world generally and in the water sector specifically. During WIL Lebanon 2019 more than 80% (11 projects) were led or co-led by women!

WIL Lebanon 2020

Bou7ayrit el Ibtikar - Virtual session on innovating in the water sector discussing and exploring new and traditional technologies with experts from different fields (IoT, Data Sciences, Artificial Intelligence - and Traditional Wisdom and Practices)

WIL Lebanon 2020

Bazaar al Afkar - Virtual session on ideas marketplace and team formation around industrial water challenges / circular economy, agricultural run-offs / sustainable farming methods, and domestic water use / municipal and behavioural water management trends.

WIL Lebanon 2020

Phase 2 - A follow up - “Test Zone” workshop was delivered in collaboration with Berytech in order to achieve proof of concept on how to Build their Prototype or Pilot Project

WIL Lebanon 2020

Phase 2 - WIL Lebanon 2020 Phase 2 - A follow up - “Test Zone” workshop was delivered in collaboration with CEWAS middle east to Set up a sound operational and financial strategy

PROGRAM DETAILS

WIL Lebanon 2021 will be delivered in Arabic.

Certificates will be offered to participants who attend a minimum of 5 live sessions outlining the topics covered in this innovation lab.

Phase I:

6 weekly virtual sessions held on Wednesdays at

5:00 pm Lebanon Time

+ 1 closing virtual session on August 18

OPENING
SESSION

Wednesday
June 30
2021

2 hours

SESSIONS
2-5

Wednesdays
July 7-28
2021

3 hours

SESSION
6

Wednesday
August 11
2021

3 hours

CLOSING
SESSION

Wednesday
August 18
2021

2 hours

Phase 1

Phase I focuses on immersive innovative and leadership training that concludes with co-innovative solutions designed at a conceptual level within multidisciplinary teams.

Participants who meet all requirements and present their projects are selected to participate in Phase II.

Phase 2

October - November 2021

Phase II supports the co-innovative solutions to achieve proof of concept through designing a pilot or prototype of their project; with a training workshop called “Test Zone”.

Details to come

THEME BASED
WORK

2021

Developing water solutions within the context of Climate Change and Mitigation approaches

WIL Lebanon team will leverage local context and train a new co-hort of young leaders and students to develop water solutions within the context of Climate Change and Mitigation approaches and geographically continue WIL Lebanon focus on the Litani River and Bekka region, looking at:

Socio-economics: Flooding and drought & Nexus
Water Governance: Effectiveness, efficiency & management
Climate Mitigation: Hydropower and Renewables
Water Quality: Industrial, agricultural & wastewater

2020

A focus on the Litani River in the Bekaa Region through designing innovative water solutions

WIL Lebanon 2020 focuses on the Litani River’s industrial , agricultural and social water challenges. It provides an opportunity to engage youth and young leaders in coming up with innovative solutions to tackle water challenges facing Lebanon’s Litani River, looking at :

Circular economy
Water-Energy-Food-Health Nexus
Iot, Data Sciences, Artificial Intelligence
Revival of Traditional Knowledge

2019

Building Resilience in Water-Energy-Food-Health Systems in an Arid and Semi-Arid Region

WIL Lebanon 2019 focuses on climate change and human demographic impacts on water, energy, food and health. It provides an opportunity to engage youth and young leaders in coming up with innovative solutions to tackle water in an arid and semi-arid region, looking at:

Rural water challenges: designing frugal water solutions for low-income and high-risk displaced communities.
Urban water challenges: growth and planning
Industrial water challenges: circular economy
High tech solutions: AI, IoT, Data Science
Revival of Indigenous Knowledge

WHY JOIN?

PAST PARTICIPANTS

“It was such an amazing experience! I have never seen such an organised program that seeks to develop intellectual and entrepreneurial capabilities for youth while searching for innovative water solutions that benefits our society. WIL Lebanon made me a better researcher, problem solver, public speaker and critical thinker. Thankful for this life changing opportunity.”

Fatima Zbib

WIL Lebanon 2020 Alumna

"I learned a lot during my journey with WIL Lebanon. This workshop helped me look at things from a different perspective, and ask questions beyond my field of studies and knowledge."

Rita Al Hachach

WIL Lebanon 2020 Alumna

“It’s a great efficient experience in terms of stretching our knowledge regarding water issues, and setting a platform to facilitate collaboration between the Lebanese to innovate for our nature. WIL Lebanon is providing what is needed to transform our ideas to prototypes. Thank you for this huge great work!”