OPEN CALL for Innovation Challenges on

Water Quality Monitoring & Assessment

to be put forward at the upcoming
Innovation Workshop on Water Quality Monitoring & Assessment

A challenge is not usually seen as a good thing, but when it comes to innovation, it is.
Contrary to what many believe, ideas are not the first step of innovation, problems are.

In this “Open Call for Innovation Challenges”, we are soliciting proposals for challenges to be
put forward at the upcoming Innovation Workshop on Water Quality Monitoring &
Assessment, in order to accelerate innovation in water quality monitoring and assessment.
The workshop will include presentations, pitches and/or panel discussions on the
operational challenges and needs as well as existing and potential innovative approaches
and solutions. The workshop will also include collaborative working sessions aiming at:

• Refining and narrowing down the challenges selected through this Call;
• Exploring and defining innovative ideas and solutions to address these challenges;
• Exploring and defining a way forward for the implementation of the identified
innovative ideas and solutions.

The submitted challenge proposals will be evaluated and selected based on the following
criteria (no challenge should be expected to meet all the criteria):

• The challenge is relevant to the workshop’s key focus areas;

• The topic of the challenge needs increased attention and development;
• The challenge has a high potential for impact;
• The challenge has an international scope and is faced by multiple countries;
• The challenge is generally comprehensible;
• The challenge has a potential for innovation;
• The challenge is evidence-based;
• The challenge is well-designed.

The individuals and/or organizations that submitted the selected challenges will be invited
to present their challenge at the workshop.
CHALLENGE INSTRUCTIONS:

“If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem
and one minute resolving it.” (Albert Einstein)

1. The proposed challenge must be designed using the Challenge Proposal Template
(please download and fill-in the template). Please answer as many of the template
questions as possible, not exceeding the maximum number of words indicated for
each answer. Please note that it is not mandatory to answer all questions,
however, it is recommended to provide as many answers as possible.
2. The proposed challenge must focus on one or more of the following key workshop
focus areas:
• Crowdsourcing for water quality monitoring and assessment (including
associated uncertainties);
• Acceptance and integration of water quality data from non-traditional data
sources (e.g., citizen science, remote sensing, modelling);
• Low-cost methodologies to monitor and assess water quality;
• Integrated spatial, geophysical, and ground measurement to monitor and
assess water quality;
• Methods of data exploration and visualization.
3. The proposed challenge can focus on one or more of the following levels:
Community, Institutional, National, Regional, and/or Global.
4. The proposed challenge should include concrete examples and evidence, as
appropriate.
5. The challenge proposal must be in English.
6. The challenge proposal needs an organizer, a person responsible for submitting the
challenge proposal on behalf of an organization, community and/or group of
individuals. To work on the challenge proposal, we advise the organizer to gather a
small team of fellow experts and innovators with diverse perspectives.
7. Send the completed Challenge Proposal Template to ichernov@wmo.int by 31
March 2023.
TIMELINE:

If you have any questions regarding the “Open Call for Innovation Challenges”, please
contact ichernov@wmo.int and/or kilian.christ@un.org.