Starting September 28th, WE4F’s Regional Innovation Hubs (RIHs) will host four virtual kick-offs. The hubs work with innovators, investors, and other partners to provide technical and/or financial assistance, improve enabling environments, and develop other regional activities. Each RIH will discuss the countries they cover, their operations, and what comes next. Learn more about each hub and find out how to become a partner:
September 28th: Middle East and North Africa RIH
Join us on September 28th at at 2pm (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia)/3pm (Egypt, Sudan)/4pm (Lebanon, Jordan, Palestinian Territories, Iraq, Yemen) to learn more about our work in the region and potential partnerships.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is subject to many challenges including water scarcity, environmental degradation, unemployment, conflicts and increased migration. Tackling issues in the water-energy-food nexus is imperative to achieve political and social stability, gender equality and inclusion, food security, sustainable development, and increase incomes for base of the pyramid women and men.
The MENA Regional Innovation Hub (MENA RIH) supports innovators that work in the region and produce more food while using less water and energy. Together with investors and other partners, the MENA RIH works to scale mid-to-late stage enterprises that have an environmental and social impact in the water-energy-food nexus. Based in Beirut, Lebanon, the MENA RIH supports innovators in the following countries and territories: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, The Palestinian Territories, Tunisia, Sudan, and Yemen.
September 28th: South and Southeast Asia RIH
The South and Southeast Asia region has seen remarkable economic growth in the past two decades, leading to a projected decrease of 13 million undernourished people between 2015 and 2024. However, this progress is not uniformly spread over the region. As of 2015, around 60 million people remained malnourished and poverty rates in several countries exceeded 40 percent.
Meanwhile, food production often involves traditional or intensive energy and water uses that exacerbate climate change, deplete natural resources, and cause biodiversity loss. In order to address these issues, private enterprises have developed a bevy of approaches and technologies for environmentally-sustainable, climate-friendly, and resource-efficient agricultural processes.
The South and Southeast Asia Regional Innovation Hub (S/SEA RIH) supports the scaling-up of climate-friendly and environmentally sustainable, energy and/or water-efficient innovations in the water-energy-food (WE4F) nexus across the region, with a focus on women and the poor. Innovations include technologies, business and finance models and new modes of cooperation. Based in Bangkok, Thailand, the RIH supports innovators in 16 countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste, Thailand, and Vietnam.
September 29th: West Africa RIH
The West Africa Regional Innovation Hub (West Africa RIH) will be hosting two sessions for their Hub Kick-Off Calls. The 6:00 AM GMT-4/10:00 AM GMT+3 webinar will be in French and the 9:00 AM GMT-4/1:00 PM GMT+3 will be in English. Join the regional staff as they share their work, explore potential partnerships, and answer questions.
West Africa’s food production capabilities and natural resources are facing increased pressures due to a rapidly growing population, increased climate variability, desertification, increased demand for water resources, and a lack of access to reliable energy. These stressors are impacting food security, deforestation, biodiversity, and water; and solutions are needed to confront the challenges and also impact gender equality and the base of the pyramid populations.
The West Africa Regional Innovation Hub (West Africa RIH) supports the scaling-up of climate-friendly and environmentally sustainable, energy and/or water-efficient innovations in the water, energy and food/agriculture sectors across the region, with a focus on women and the poor. Based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire the West Africa RIH supports innovators in the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo.
September 30th: East Africa RIH
The East African region has great potential for food production with a majority of the population living in rural areas and working in agriculture. However, small-scale farmers are often confronted with low productivity and high post-harvest losses, with particularly adverse effects on women and the poor.
In order to address these challenges, innovators (commercial companies or organizations) have developed numerous approaches and technologies for environmentally-sustainable, climate-friendly, water- and energy-efficient agricultural and food industries. However, innovators often have insufficient entrepreneurial capacities to successfully and sustainably scale upmarket developed prototypes of innovative technologies in local, regional and global markets.
The East Africa Regional Innovation Hub (East Africa RIH) supports the scaling-up of climate-friendly and environmentally sustainable, energy and/or water-efficient innovations in the water, energy and food/ agriculture sectors across the region, with a focus on women and the poor. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, the East Africa RIH supports innovators in the following countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Join the East African virtual kick-off to find out more about the hub’s work, their planned activities, and explore potential partnerships.
