As part of CEDARE’s vision to empower youth and promote environmental and water innovation in the region, the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), in partnership with the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), organized the closing ceremony of the first edition of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize – Egypt (SJWP Egypt) on 22 June 2025 in Cairo.
The opening session was attended by Dr. Aref Gharib, representing H.E. Dr. Hani Sewilam, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation; Dr. Omar El-Badawy, representing H.E. Dr. Khaled Fahmy, Executive Director of CEDARE; Mrs. Mahyad Tavakoli, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy of Sweden in Cairo, who delivered a welcome address affirming the Embassy’s support for youth empowerment and environmental innovation; and Dr. Khaled AbuZeid, Director of the Water Resources Department at CEDARE.
The opening speeches highlighted the unwavering support of the participating institutions in empowering young people and advancing innovation in water and sustainable development sectors.
The Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) is a prestigious global award organised annually by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) since 1997, under the royal patronage of H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. It honours outstanding student projects that offer innovative and sustainable solutions to global water challenges. Each year, over 30 countries participate in the competition, which culminates during World Water Week in Stockholm.
The competition aims to encourage Egyptian youth aged 15 to 20 to engage in creative scientific thinking and to propose novel solutions to pressing water issues such as scarcity, pollution, and water-use efficiency. It fosters environmental awareness and equips youth with the knowledge and motivation to play a leading role in protecting natural resources and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The ceremony featured detailed presentations of the final projects, showcasing applied research and models addressing critical water issues such as purification, reuse, loss reduction, and non-traditional methods of irrigation and desalination.
At the conclusion of the event, the top five winners were honored amidst an atmosphere of celebration and pride in the participants’ achievements. The project awarded first place was officially announced to represent Egypt at the international finals of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, to be held in August 2025 in Stockholm, Sweden, during World Water Week—one of the world’s leading forums on water policy and innovation.
Winning Projects:
1st winner: Synergistic Hydrogel and Zeolite-Based Photocatalysis for Water Treatment
Students: Adam Ahmed El-Husseiny, Ahmed Hosni Abdel-Salam
This project will represent Egypt in the international finals in Stockholm in August 2025.
2nd winner: LithoHygroCycle
Students: Haneen Mohamed Abdel-Monsef, Sama Hassan Mahmoud Hassan
3rd winner: Innovative Low-Cost Water Treatment for Agricultural Drainages
Students: George El-Sabi Abdel-Malak, Mark Fayez Ibrahim Mikhael
4th winner: Nattar4
Students: Mohamed Mostafa Mohamed Mahmoud, Belal Amgad Abdel-Aty Abdel-Latif Ahmed
5th winner: Mangrovius
Student: Mahmoud Emad Mahmoud Ibrahim
Congratulations to all finalists for their dedication and creativity. CEDARE reaffirms its commitment to supporting emerging Egyptian talents and providing national and international platforms for showcasing their innovative solutions to sustainable development and water challenges.
