Youth Innovation for Climate Resilience: 2025 Global Integrated Flood and Drought Management Competition

This global initiative is designed to fund and support innovative solutions led by youth that enhance resilience to water-related hazards and contribute to the Early Warnings for All initiative.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is proud to announce the launch of the 2025 Global Integrated Flood and Drought Management Competition for Youth-Led Projects, marking its third consecutive year. This global initiative is designed to fund and support innovative solutions led by youth that enhance resilience to water-related hazards and contribute to the Early Warnings for All initiative.

Why Youth Matter in Climate Action

Young people are more than just victims of climate change—they are powerful agents of change. Their creativity and passion for climate resilience are crucial for building safer and more adaptive communities. Despite their potential, youth often face barriers to participating in climate policy and decision-making. This competition aims to break down those barriers, empowering young innovators to lead impactful projects and drive real change.

Objectives of the 2025 Competition

Strengthen Community Resilience: Promote youth-led initiatives focusing on flood and drought preparedness, response, and adaptation.

Showcase Impact: Demonstrate the effectiveness of youth-led projects in enhancing community resilience.

Sustain Long-Term Solutions: Create opportunities for young leaders to implement, scale, and sustain their projects, ensuring lasting contributions to climate action.

How to Participate

Proposal Deadline: 16 March 2025

Submission Guidelines: Visit the official competition page for detailed instructions on eligibility and how to apply.

Inspiring Youth Success Stories from Past Competitions

Water from a Rock (South Africa): Developed a real-time risk and preparedness platform to map disasters and identify high-risk areas.

Collaborative Mapping for Flooding Resilience (Medellín, Colombia): Trained local communities in collaborative mapping and created a comprehensive cartographic database for vulnerable areas.

AWAKE (Indonesia): Focused on inclusive education and disaster preparedness, equipping children and people with disabilities with essential flood and drought response skills.

YouthMappers Project (Tanzania): Used GIS and open-source mapping tools to identify flood-prone areas, map evacuation routes, and strengthen early warning systems.

Organizers and Partners

The competition is organized by the Associated Programme on Flood Management (APFM) and Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP)—joint initiatives of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Global Water Partnership (GWP) in partnership with the Water Youth Network (WYN).

This is your chance to make a global impact and showcase how youth-led solutions can build a more resilient future.