Vienna: Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and on his behalf, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Eng. Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli will attend the ceremony honoring winners of the 11th round of the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW). The event will take place at the United Nations headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on November 8.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the prize, as explained by its secretary-general Dr. Abdulmalik Al-Sheikh, is a global scientific award focused on encouraging innovative research in water studies, and it acknowledges the pioneering efforts of scientists, researchers, and inventors worldwide addressing water scarcity and conservation issues.
The prize is awarded biennially and comprises five categories, including an innovation award valued at SAR1 million and four specialized awards, each worth SAR500,000, covering surface water, groundwater, alternative water resources, and w
ater resource management and protection.
Since its launch, King Saud University has sponsored the prize, providing administrative and scientific support through the Prince Sultan Institute for Environmental, Water, and Desert Research. The award also maintains close relationships with the United Nations and several Arab and international water organizations.
The award’s council approved the 11th edition winners on June 25. The upcoming ceremony at UN headquarters in Vienna will feature the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, prominent dignitaries, ambassadors, academics, and representatives from international research organizations.
The Innovation Prize was awarded to two teams. The first team, Dr. Maria Cristina Rulli from Politecnico di Milano and Dr. Paolo D’Odorico from the University of California, Berkeley, developed pioneering analyses on the water-energy-food nexus, enhancing global freshwater management. The second team, led by Dr. Zigui He from Zhejiang University, created advanced, versatile
robots with unprecedented maneuverability for water research and monitoring.
The four specialized awards went to:
Surface Water Prize: Dr. Qiuhua Liang from Loughborough University, UK, for developing open-source hydrodynamic models using graphic processing units (GPUs), enabling real-time, precise flood predictions.
Groundwater Prize: Dr. Chunmiao Zheng from the Eastern Institute of Technology, China, for developing tools that examine groundwater processes in diverse hydrological and climate conditions for effective groundwater management.
Alternative Water Resources Prize: Dr. Virender K. Sharma from Texas A and M University, for innovative techniques using activated iron in advanced oxidation to effectively remove pharmaceuticals from wastewater.
Water Resource Management and Protection Prize: Dr. Joseph Hun-wei Lee from Macau University of Science and Technology, China, for unique modeling systems supporting sustainable water management in smart cities.
The 12th edition of the award nominations rema
ins open through the end of 2025.
The PSIPW aligns with Saudi Vision 2030. Established in 2002 by the late Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the prize has achieved international acclaim, largely due to the ongoing support and dedication of HRH Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, who played a key role in its success and global reputation.
