Three Kenyan innovations to be awarded at climate change forum in Paris

Three innovations used in Kenya will on Friday be feted with awards at the ongoing climate change conference in Paris.

Solvatten, a solar water heating system used in Kibera slums, will be one of 16 initiatives from around the world that will be honoured with the United Nations climate change Momentum for Change award at the Le Bourget, home of the ongoing climate change discussions, also the COP21.

The device that looks like a black jerry can, opens up to expose water to sun rays and heat warms the contaminated water to about 55 degrees Celsius.

“This way, it can eliminate all pathogenic material in 10 litres of water within 2 hours, allowing for multiple batches of water to be treated in a given day. It costs about Sh10, 000 but they are distributed and sold at a subsidised price of Sh1500,” Ms Petra Wadstrom, a Swedish national, told Daily Nation at Le Bourget on Thursday a few hours before the award ceremony.

“We know climate change is putting stress on available water sources leading to contamination thus increases the chances of cholera, typhoid and the likes. Therefore, this portable device is changing the lives of families in Kibera, Bungoma and several counties in Kenya,” she added.

According to the Swedish inventor, Ms Petra Wadstrom over 2,500 Solvatten devices have been distributed and have benefitted 12,900 people in Nairobi’s urban slums.

Ms Wadstrom says this thus reduces the need to boil water by burning firewood or charcoal while increasing renewable energy, reducing deforestation. She says using a Solvatten unit saves 5-6 mid-size trees.

The other awardee is the Azuri PayGo Energy that has combined solar and mobile phone technology in turn providing lighting and mobile charging services not only to Kenyans but also to people in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Malawi among others.
The user, after installation, can purchase a scratch card, or uses an integrated mobile money service to top-up their unit.

Grundfos Lifelink Water Solutions is also lined up for an award that provides access to safe, sustainable and affordable water to people in developing countries.
To collect water, people charge a smart card with credit bought onsite or via their mobile phones, insert it into the dispenser and pay for the water they need.

The awards will be presented by Mr Ban Ki Moon, Secretary-general of the United Nations as well as Christiana Figueres, the United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention Executive Secretary.
It will be crowned by a musical performance from Grammy Award-Winning artist Sean Paul.