Nautx Eca Hackathon

We are pleased to announce that NAUTX, a young African tech company, has received the "Grand Prix" at the ECA Hackathon 2023, organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (CEA) in Niamey, Niger. This year's Hackathon focused on the theme of leveraging digital technologies for climate resilience and adaptation, and NAUTX project NATAL was recognized for its innovative approach to collecting real-time data on meteorological and climatic conditions using artificial intelligence (AI) to forecast weather patterns and map ground quality and weather conditions by country/region.

NATAL plays a significant role in the economic situation and accessibility of food exchanges, helping farmers adapt and be more resilient to climate change. The project won a grand prize, competing against over 90 applications from young innovators and tech enthusiasts across the five regions of Africa.

The ECA Hackathon featured 25 emerging technologies for building climate resilience and adaptation, including geo-mapping services for efficient garbage collection and recycling, drone and AI for smart agriculture, mobile apps to support farmers or extension workers, and ecologic bamboo toothbrushes as an alternative to plastic. The Hackathon also included project pitching training and mentorship sessions to further validate the ideas of the participants towards meeting the innovation challenge aimed at addressing relevant UN SDGs such as Zero Hunger, Climate Action, and Affordable and Clean Energy, among others.
The Technical Advisory Group formed by ECA recognized three projects that showed exceptional effort focusing on ICT and climate change as the award winners of the ECA 2023 Hackathon competition. Digital platforms EcoLog and VerdeVille obtained second and third place awards, respectively.

At the closing ceremony, awards and certificates were handed out by ECA's Chief of Technology and Innovation Section, Mactar Seck, ECA's Chief of the African Climate Policy Center (ACPC), James Murombedzi, and Program Head at United Nations University, Erick Tambo.
The ECA Hackathon received positive feedback for its hands-on engagement, allowing young innovators to explore solutions that leverage digital technologies for offering alternative solutions to climate resilience through cross-border understanding of climate change challenges. The Hackathon is an excellent example of the power of partnerships to build innovative digital solutions ready for quick implementation and to provide immediate results to build Africa's climate change resilience.
Congratulations to all participants and winners of the ECA 2023 Hackathon. It is inspiring that young Africans are taking advantage of technology to create positive and sustainable development on the continent. Let's continue harnessing digital technologies for a better future for everyone. For more information about the ECA Hackathon, please visit: United Nations Economic Commission Africa