Following the concept presentations at the end of Field Week, the six participating teams have now entered the next critical phase of the UNESCO Amazon Water Resilience Challenge – Ecuador 2025: fully developing their proposed solutions. Each team is given three weeks until 7 June to transform their early concepts into practical, ready-to-implement pilot plans that address the real-world water challenges of Loja, El Tambo, or Zumbi.
To support this process, a group of mentors from The Water Agency and UNESCO is available to provide coaching and guidance. Mentors are working closely with the teams, offering feedback, answering technical questions, and helping refine strategies through online sessions.
The final solutions will be evaluated by a panel of experts between 7 and 14 June, using a detailed scoring framework that looks at each project’s clarity, feasibility, and potential impact. The three highest-scoring teams will be awarded seed funding to pilot their solutions in the field later this year.
The evaluation will be based on the following seven criteria:
- Context: A clear and concise description of the geographic, social, and environmental setting of the case study site.
- Problem Analysis: Demonstrating a strong understanding of the water-related issue, including causes, impacts, and hydrological dimensions.
- Problem Definition: Clearly framing the problem using a structured formula that identifies who is affected, what the issue is, its root cause, and the resulting impact.
- Proposed Solution: A practical, innovative solution that directly addresses the defined problem. The solution should balance technical action with stakeholder involvement and have real potential for impact.
- Implementation Plan: A realistic and feasible plan showing how the solution can be piloted, considering time, resources, and local conditions.
- Stakeholders: A clear strategy for involving key stakeholders and partners in the implementation process.
- Communications: A communication plan outlining how the project will be documented, promoted, and shared with broader audiences.
Stay tuned as the teams move closer to turning their ideas into action.
