The Five Challenges
Exciting Challenges With Charismatic Challengers and Coaches are Awaiting You!
Challenge 1
Connecting Research to Reality: A Systems Lens on Water Challenges
Many water solutions are designed in isolation, disconnected from the complex realities faced by communities and ecosystems. How can we build systems that link researchers with real-world water challenges to co-create meaningful, context-aware, and sustainable solutions?
Challengers & Coach
The Experts
Dr. Jess MacArthur
Challenger
At Eawag’s Sandec department, she applies design thinking to turn complex information into practical solutions, drawing on over a decade of global experience in water, sanitation, and knowledge sharing.
Boris Zigawe
Coach
Coach & Mediator.
Challenge 2
WASH: How to increase the access to clean water in health care facilities?
According to the WHO, many healthcare facilities, especially in low-income areas, lack basic clean water and hygiene services. This compromises infection control, endangering patients and staff. There is an urgent need for innovative, context-specific solutions that go beyond infrastructure. The focus should be on sustainable operational models, behavioral change, and integrating nature-based elements to improve public health.
Challengers & Coach
The Experts
Thiago Zaguini
Challenger
Thiago is a Sustainability Leader with over 20 years of global experience advancing climate, water, and biodiversity initiatives. He specializes in environmental and social sustainability and holds degrees in Water Security, Environmental Engineering, and Biology.
Roland Zurbruegg
Challenger
Roland leads water sustainability programs at Roche Basel. He serves as Water Protection Officer, chairs a major wastewater plant, and lectures at FHNW. He holds a PhD from ETH Zurich.
Dominik Hanisch
Coach
Expert for open innovation.
Challenge 3
From Citizen Data to Flood Resilience
What can the public observe during flood events, and how can this citizen-contributed data inform flood preparedness? This challenge explores public awareness for disaster risk reduction. Your task is to show how this data, in collaboration with the insurance industry, can improve community resilience by speeding up recovery and fostering a more resilient future.
Challengers & Coach
The Experts
Linnaea Cahill
Challenger
Linnaea is a PhD researcher in Hydrology & Climate at the University of Zürich, using citizen science data to forecast floods and droughts. She holds an MSc in Civil Engineering from TU Delft and is passionate about applying science in practice.
Prof. Jan Seibert
Challenger
Jan is a leading hydrologist specializing in runoff modelling, groundwater, and citizen science. Leader of the CrowdWater project, he has received major honors including the Henry Darcy Medal and now serves as UZH’s Delegate for Sustainability.
Ilja van Meerveld
Challenger
Ilja is a senior hydrologist at UZH leading the Hillslope Hydrology group. Her research focuses on runoff dynamics, subsurface connectivity, and citizen-science approaches such as CrowdWater.
Michèle Lai
Challenger
Michèle is a Senior Catastrophe Modelling Analyst with experience in atmospheric science, risk management, and reinsurance. She leads model validation and translates complex risk analytics into reinsurance insights. She holds an MSc in Atmospheric and Climate Science from ETH Zürich.
Tara Welschinger
Coach
Systemic Coach, Supervisor, Support in Work Processes.
Challenge 4
Let it flow: Access to Water and Intellectual Property
Clean water is essential for life, yet billions still live without it. Brilliant minds are inventing new ways to purify, recycle and share this vital resource, but who gets to use those ideas? Your challenge is to reimagine the global patent system so that innovation promotes access rather than inequality. Can you ensure that both ideas and water flow freely?
Challengers & Coach
The Experts
Dr. Christian Moser Nikles
Challenger
Christian Moser Nikles is a patent expert in life sciences at the IPI since 2014. Besides his activity as a professional patent researcher and examiner, he is involved in IPI’s efforts to promote IP awareness at universities and in the private industry.
Jana Lév
Coach
Entrepreneur, Strategy and Organizational Designer.
Suzie Fuchs
Coach
Coaching, Supervision & Organisational consulting.
Challenge 5
Elevating Water for Peace in the International Arena
If water is shared equitably and spared from pollution and the ravages of armed conflict, peace can prevail. With the upcoming UN 2026 Water Conference, the international community will have a key platform to rethink global water governance. Your challenge is to reimagine the global water architecture post-2030 and promote the idea that water is used as a catalyst for peace rather than a source of conflict at the UN 2026 Conference.
Challengers & Coach
The Experts
Erik Armando Schnetzler
Challenger
Erik is a Project Manager at Geneva Water Hub, working at the nexus of water and peace. He previously served as an Environment Officer at UNEP in Nairobi and as a Water Security Consultant for the OSCE in Astana.
Ramona Bischoff
Coach
Organizational Innovator & Social Entrepreneur.