Women in Engineering, to address the climate challenges of the Fes-Meknes region in Morocco

Engage-AI recently supported a highly competitive hackathon designed to address the climate challenges of the Fes-Meknes region in Morocco. The event brought together nine teams, each composed of three to four participants, including IEEE student members. The focus was on leveraging AI-driven solutions to combat the region’s mounting environmental crises, such as water scarcity, extreme weather events, and their disproportionate impact on rural women.

The Fes-Meknes region is undergoing a shift toward more arid conditions, placing increased strain on water resources due to intensive irrigation, shrinking lakes, and unsustainable urban water use. The situation is further exacerbated by droughts, heatwaves, reduced rainfall, and forest fires, threatening agriculture, natural habitats, and tourism. Teams were tasked with developing AI-powered Proof of Concepts (PoCs) to address these challenges, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 13 on climate action.

The winning projects included an AI-enhanced decision-making system for water usage forecasting at the Moulay Driss I Dam, a zWaste recycling incentive app that encourages users to exchange waste for rewards, a smart region management platform that uses AI to monitor agricultural health in the Dar El Hamra commune, and an AIGreen project focused on smart irrigation systems.

This hackathon underscored the power of AI in tackling local climate issues and showcased innovative solutions that can be scaled across Morocco and beyond. The projects presented are vital steps toward achieving sustainable resource management and empowering communities to adapt to environmental challenges.