IBM has started accepting proposals for the next cohort of its Sustainability Accelerator, which will focus on water management solutions.
Quoting the World Health Organisation in a statement, the firm stated that over two billion people live in water-stressed countries, and its competition will create solutions that will solve some of these challenges.
According to the report, 70 million Nigerians have no access to basic water services and 114 million did not have basic sanitation facilities in 2021.
The General Manager of IBM Africa Growth Markets, Julia Carvalho, stated, “Sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the most water-stressed regions in Africa and globally due to factors such as climate change, increased water requirements, population growth and poverty.
“With recent developments – not limited to cases of devastating droughts and flooding – threatening the future of millions, addressing the water crisis becomes even more urgent by the day.
“This is why we are delighted to extend our water-management solutions to organisations with initiatives that need them as they seek to empower communities to overcome these water challenges in a bid to drive water stewardship and ultimately, resilience in the region.”
According to the firm, recent events have worsened Nigeria’s water security as the country continues to suffer from the effects of its most severe flooding in the past decade, with cases of diarrhoea, water-borne diseases, respiratory infections, and skin diseases increasing in recent months.
The firm said, “The RFP process will include input from IBM across disciplines and from representatives from organisations such as Water.org and the United Nations Development Programme.
“The selection criteria will consider the applicant’s capacity and readiness to support communities that are especially vulnerable to water-related threats, technical feasibility and sustainability for the envisioned solution, and transparency on measurement and reporting – along with others.”
One of the judges for the water cohort selection, Mandell, added, “Innovation in the water management space is key to meeting UN SDG 6.
“Organisation initiatives that are selected to participate in the IBM Sustainability Accelerator will have a significant opportunity to make an impact with the help of IBM’s technology, expertise, and network across its large ecosystem of partners.”