The Maldives Ocean Hackathon 2023 has been initiated as a pioneering initiative aimed at channeling digital technology to tackle climate-related issues.
The three-day hackathon marked a historic milestone as the first of its kind in the nation. It brought together 50 participants, forming 10 teams, each presenting innovative solutions to environmental challenges.
Nine solutions were proposed by local entities, while one was put forward from The Asia Pacific University of Malaysia.
During the inaugural event held at Cross Roads, Minister of Environment Aminath Shauna emphasized the pressing challenges posed by climate change, such as access to clean water and environmental degradation resulting from fuel combustion and plastic usage.
Minister Shauna said that finding sustainable resolutions to these problems necessitates cutting-edge data-driven approaches, pointing out that the collection of long-term environmental data has been notably absent.
She emphasized that to facilitate progress, it is imperative to pool and share data from various sources with the government, highlighting its pivotal role in shaping national policies and the way of life in the Maldives.
Minister Shauna articulated, "The most effective solution for the Maldives lies in understanding how the data, obtained with the Environment Ministry's support, can be utilized for informed decision-making, and for advocating sustainable living across the Maldivian archipelago."
The participating teams are competing for the following rankings:
The first-place team will receive a substantial cash prize of $10,000. The second-place team will be awarded $3,000. The third-place team will receive $2,000.
In addition to these prizes, the event organizers have committed to offering post-hackathon support and assistance to further develop the projects presented during the hackathon.
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