Aqualuz – Safe Drinking Water For All
Support this projectMillions of people do not have access to clean drinking water. To help solve the problem, Anna Luísa Beserra Santos created an affordable device that uses the sun to purify water in cisterns.
Today, 785 million people lack safe drinking water, and 2 billion people don’t have access to a toilet. Diarrheal disease is a leading cause of death worldwide. For these men, women and children, clean water would help turn problems into potential – unlocking education, economic opportunities and improving health.
Using technology to support rural communities
Anna always wanted to be a scientist and, at the age of 17, she overcome financial and technical challenges to design Aqualuz. This cheap yet efficient device uses the sun to purify water in cisterns (for up to 20 years), with no need for chemicals or complex filters. 10L of treated water cost just US $ 0.02.
Based on solar water disinfection (SODIS), this innovative filter is an ideal way to meet the needs communities who use rainwater harvesting systems – in her native Brazil, this represents 1 million people especially in the rural semi-arid northwest. So, far 1,500 people use the device and have been given training, so they can actively participate in deploying the technology and become replicators in their neighbourhoods.
Over the next 3 years, Anna hopes to optimise manufacturing costs and reach 1 million people by taking the technology to other countries in America, Africa and Asia.
Similar projects
L’École des pôles
L’Ecole des Pôles (The School of Poles) embarks young people to give them tools for the ecological transition. Welcome aboard beautiful three masted sailing ships to raise awareness of the climate emergency!
Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta
To protect K’ahsho Got’ine Land in Canada and to study and adapt to the impacts of climate change, the community relies on the knowledge of Elders.
Innovative Sustainable Environment Education
Environmental education requires a close cooperation of all segments of society. Based on this belief, the ISEE project team is building cooperation among students, teachers and families around carbon footprint awareness.
Support the project
To get involved in a collective adventure:
Discover meaningful projects
Choose your preferred project to embark on
Contact the project owner
Discover inspiring initiatives around the world and find innovative solutions
Duplicate the proposed sustainable solutions
Establish new partnerships
Find inspiration and discover new ideas
Connect and share experiences with other innovators around the world
Contact us to propose your project
Discover the innovations carried out by citizens in your CSR fields of action and in the regions of your choice
Support through funding or by providing skills in your areas of expertise
Contact the project leaders
Find inspiring stories of engaged citizens to enrich your editorial work
Help local projects increase their impact and make them known to your audience
Contact the project managers
Discover citizen initiatives around the world
Invest in local projects aligned with your strategy for sustainable development
Contact the project managers