It’s final; the open call of the WDCD Climate Action Challenge has ended. We received 384 entries from 70 countries. Ideas from Indonesia to Brazil, from Singapore to Italy, and from India to Ghana. We’re still analysing the projects, but already we’ve some seen great concepts across all topics from students and professionals alike.
Take for example Taboat, an idea by three design students from Singapore, Phebe Tan, Na Yeon Ko, and Porndee Chua. Their concept is simple; it’s a nice looking table that also can act as a boat in case of a flood. In areas with high flood risks such a piece of furniture could become a lifesaver.
The AA Visiting School Amazon workshop we reported on earlier yielded a concept for a floating Climate Change Learning Centre to educate the people who live around Mamori Lake in the Amazon. The floating centre will be an inspiration for the people here who experience floods on a regular basis and give them ideas how to adapt to shortages or disasters caused by climate change.
Playfulness
In many entries we encounter a form of playfulness, which can attract attention to an issue as serious as climate change. Dutch designer Fien Dekker entered her start-up Rain(a)Way, a rainwater expert for a climate proof city. ‘Rain(a)Way sees rainwater as a chance and a quality of the city, instead of a problem,’ Dekker writes in the entry. With specially developed tiles, Rain(a)Way offers cities climate-proof pavement design, that is fun to look at and helps water infiltrate into the soil.
And what to think of ‘The church of climate change’ submitted by the Ghanese office of innovation agency Dr. Monk? The idea is literally a ‘green temple where you convert climate change concerns into action. Reflect on the state of our world and compensate for CO2 sins.’
Children
Children, who are greatly affected by climate change, play a role in several entries. From India comes The Children’s Scrappy News Service (see video), submitted by Lisa Heydlauff of the organisation Going to School. ‘For us, being ‘scrappy’ means changing the world with whatever you’ve got,’ she writes. ‘Wherever you are, you don’t have to speak English or be online to be scrappy: anyone can be scrappy, anywhere. And that’s our big audacious goal. To start a globally scrappy revolution for kids, made in India for the world.’
Selection committee
It’s now up to the selection committee to choose around 45 entries that will have the chance to be among the final winners. The nominees will be announced on 21 October in Eindhoven at our Embassy for Climate Action (Klokgebouw 50) during Dutch Design Week.