Sustainability Award

A team of three students from the Aga Khan School, Dhaka in Bangladesh won the Sustainability Award for their investigation into using biodegradable hydrogels to elevate soil moisture quality and reduce water usage, aiding irrigation and crop cultivation.

Inspired by their research into drought and the effects this has on crop yields in their country, team members, Sarah Mushtaque, Shanze Samara Mohsin and Shayantika Ghosh created a stable, semi-permeable and biodegradable hydrogel by combining lime juice, agar powder and water. They then added this to pots containing soil and finally added water. The students measured the mass of these over the course of 10 days and compared them to the mass of pots only containing soil and water.

The experiment showed that soil treated with the hydrogel could retain water better than soil without it, demonstrating its potential use in mitigating drought in the agricultural industry.

Thoroughly impressed by the team’s study, Christine Özden, Global Director, Climate Education at Cambridge said: 'This project really stood out for a number of reasons. The team, through their research, identified the importance of this sustainability challenge for their own country of Bangladesh and wrote with authority on this context. Indeed there was careful consideration at introduction and throughout the write-up, including thoughtful reflections on how this process of using hydrogels to reduce water usage could be scaled up. They had obviously also considered how to make the experiment itself sustainable through the materials used. An impressive project showcasing both scientific and sustainability-related knowledge, skills and understanding.'

Reflecting on the reasons for choosing this as a topic of investigation, Shanze Samara Mohsin said: 'Even within the urbanized cityscape of Dhaka, it's not abnormal to experience having our water supply cut off. Not to mention the thousands suffering from drought in the rural regions of Bangladesh. Hence, to tackle this issue deeply rooted in our society, I wanted to present an avant-garde approach that centered around agriculture, and hydrogels seemed to be the perfect fit!'

A team of six students from Eagles Grammar International School in Malaysia won the Sustainability Award for their investigation into how phytoremediation (using plants to clean contaminants in soil, air or water) can be used to reduce eutrophication (excessive build-up of organic pollutants in water).

One of the leading causes of eutrophication is the over-usage of fertiliser in the agricultural industry, which produces large amounts of phosphates. Charis Tan Lynn Yee, Isabel Liau Jin Ru, Ng Yan Toong, Shriyadita Muralitharan, Yee Li Khai and Iman Nazeem Chaudhry identified two different aquatic plants as suitable for reducing such phosphates. These were Pontederia crassipes (Elodea) and Canadensis hydrocrocharitales (Water Hyacinth), both chosen for their optimum temperature and pH that suited the Malaysian climate.

The team tested the plants individually and together, measuring phosphate levels of the water before and four days after adding the plants. The students found that the phosphate water with both the Elodea and Water Hyacinth had phosphates reduced by 100%.

Team member Ng Yan Toong said: 'This competition has enhanced my understanding of the preciousness of nature and served as a reminder of the importance of awareness. Winning the Sustainability Award is not only a testament to our hardiness and ability but also a result of our teamwork and dedication.'

The judges were particularly impressed by the team’s use of natural and sustainable solutions to a growing problem of local and global significance. The judges commented that 'the team did careful research which informed their use of an innovative combination of local plants to combat eutrophication. They carried out their investigation in a logical and robust way, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of their methods. The judges would have been interested to see the results replicated.'