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

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

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
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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!”
Rabih Hamid
WIL Lebanon 2020 Alumnus

WIL LEBANON
RESOURCE GUESTS

Kevin Bonel

Emergency WaSH Consultant- UNICEF

Expert Resources Guest

Suzy Hoayek

Advisor to the Minister - Ministry of Energy and Water

Expert Resource Guest

Maria Saidy

Water Sector Field Coordinator-Bekaa - UNICEF

Expert Resource Guest

Rebecca Bushby

WASH Officer- UNICEF

Expert Resource Guest

Dr. Rabi H. Mohtar

Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS) at the American University of Beirut (AUB)

Expert Resources Guest

Dr. Nadim Farajalla

Director of the Climate Change and the Environment Program at Issam Fares Institute

Expert Resource Guest

Cynthia Kayem

LEPAP M&E Officer at UNDP

Expert Resource Guest

Hassan Harajli

Program Advisor and Project Manager Energy and Environment Programme at UNDP

Expert Resource Guest

Jihan Seoud

Program Manager Energy and Environment Programme at UNDP

Expert Resources Guest

Dr. Chadi Abdallah

Director of Research and Geologist - CNRS

Expert Resource Guest

Marie-Helen Nassif

Coordinator ReWater MENA – IWMI

Expert Resource Guest

Maya Mhanna

Head of Rural Projects and Irrigation Department - ‎Ministry of Agriculture Lebanon

Expert Resources Guest

Ziad Khayat

Economic Affairs Officer in the Water Resources Section - ESCWA

Expert Resources Guest

Darine Saliba

Project Officer, Embassy of Switzerland

Expert Resources Guest

Michelle Jalkh

SDC/ Embassy of Switzerland – SDC

Expert Resources Guest

Ramy Boujawdeh

Deputy General Manager of Berytech

Expert Resources Guest

Elias Nicolas

Cleantech Specialist – Berytech

Expert Resources Guest

Johanna von Toggenburg

Country Manager Lebanon - cewas

Expert Resources Guest

Vahakn Kabakian

Climate Change advisor/Project Manager at UNDP

Expert Resources Guest

Lea Kai

Project Manager, Climate Change Projects at UNDP and MoEW

Expert Resources Guest

Dona Geagea

NEWAVE Early Stage Researcher (PhD)/Former WIL Gobal Lead

Expert Resources Guest

Joseph Hakme

WASH specialist- World Vision

Expert Resources Guest

Alumni Mentors

More to Come

Fatima Zbib

Alumni Mentor

Marc Karam

Alumni Mentor

Layla Fleyfel

Alumni Mentor

Rayan Bachik

Alumni Mentor

Mariam Bazzi

Alumni Mentor

Rabih Hamid

Alumni Mentor

WATERLUTION TEAM

FUNDING PARTNERS
& COLLABORATORS

Lead Partner

Host Partner

In collaboration with

WATER in LEBANON needs

collaboration

Join us for WIL Lebanon 2021

Applications close June 23, 2021

Contact
WIL Lebanon