PSIPW Winners To Be Honoured Under King Salman's Patronage At UN Headquarters In Vienna On November 8

The Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW) is set to honour its 11th round winners at a ceremony on November 8 at the United Nations headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has delegated Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Eng. Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli to attend the event.

Dr. Abdulmalik Al-Sheikh, the prize's secretary-general, describes it as a prestigious global scientific award. It aims to promote innovative research in water studies and recognises scientists, researchers, and inventors worldwide who tackle water scarcity and conservation challenges. The prize is awarded every two years across five categories.

The Innovation Prize was awarded to two teams this year. Dr. Maria Cristina Rulli from Politecnico di Milano and Dr. Paolo D'Odorico from the University of California, Berkeley, were recognised for their analyses on the water-energy-food nexus, which improve global freshwater management. Another team led by Dr. Zigui He from Zhejiang University developed advanced robots for water research.

Four specialised awards were also presented. Dr. Qiuhua Liang from Loughborough University received the Surface Water Prize for his hydrodynamic models that enable real-time flood predictions using graphic processing units (GPUs). The Groundwater Prize went to Dr. Chunmiao Zheng from China's Eastern Institute of Technology for tools examining groundwater processes under various conditions.

Dr. Virender K. Sharma from Texas A&M University earned the Alternative Water Resources Prize for techniques using activated iron in advanced oxidation to remove pharmaceuticals from wastewater effectively. Dr. Joseph Hun-wei Lee from Macau University of Science and Technology received the Water Resource Management and Protection Prize for his modeling systems aiding sustainable water management in smart cities.

Supporting Saudi Vision 2030

Since its inception in 2002 by the late Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, PSIPW has gained international recognition with support from HRH Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz. The prize aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 and is sponsored by King Saud University, which provides administrative and scientific backing through its Prince Sultan Institute for Environmental, Water, and Desert Research.

The award maintains strong ties with the United Nations and other international water organisations. The winners of this edition were approved on June 25 by the award's council, highlighting its commitment to fostering innovation in water research globally.

Nominations for the 12th edition remain open until the end of 2025, encouraging scientists worldwide to participate via www.psipw.org. This initiative continues to bolster Saudi Arabia's role in addressing global water challenges through scientific excellence and collaboration.

With inputs from SPA