WAFA AWARDS 2025
ABOUT THE WAFA Awards
The Water Air Food Awards (WAFA) is a global nonprofit initiative that honors innovative, grassroots solutions tackling critical issues in water, air, food and climate sustainability. The awards highlight low-tech, low cost, high-impact projects that make a real measurable difference in communities worldwide.
WAFA celebrates unsung heroes—forward-thinking communities, and youth for climate action, —whose work promotes lasting environmental and social change. Winners are selected in four categories: Water, Air, Food, and Youth Climate. By recognizing these efforts, WAFA helps provide the support needed to grow and replicate sustainable solutions in communities all around the world.
Driven by passionate professionals and volunteers, WAFA aims to become a leading platform for promoting local solutions for global challenges.
Background on the WAFA Awards
The Water Air Food Awards (WAFA) recognize and empower grassroots initiatives that make a lifesaving impact in addressing global challenges related to water, air, and food security. The awards inspire and support practical, community-based solutions that promote sustainability and improve lives around the world.
Why We Must Act Now
Water, air, and food are essential for life, yet millions of people face daily struggles to access these basic resources. Years of environmental degradation, poor water management, and unsustainable land use have severely disrupted natural systems, particularly the water cycle. Today, large parts of the world are experiencing reduced water availability, which directly threatens food production and public health.
The WAFA Awards highlight the power of grassroots innovation and community resilience in tackling these interconnected issues, reminding us that sustainable solutions already exist — and they need our support to thrive and scale.
Sources:
WAFA aims to address the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Q&A about WAFA
WAFA awards innovative initiatives that show tangible, positive impacts on security of the provision of water, food, and air in a sustainable way.
WAFA was founded to recognize and elevate small-scale yet impactful solutions worldwide, about 2008, with the first award in 2010.
WAFA’s mission is to amplify grassroots voices that tackle critical environmental issues, motivating more actions toward sustainability.
WAFA is managed by an independent nonprofit organization committed to promoting environmental and social initiatives. Funding comes from various sponsors and partners dedicated to sustainability.
WAFA welcomes initiatives from around the world, encouraging participation from diverse backgrounds and regions.
Past winners have transformed their communities through initiatives that improved water quality, air purity, and food security, setting examples for broader applications.
The awards are an annual event that spotlights innovative initiatives each year.
Previous recipients have successfully implemented community-based programs that promote sustainable farming, clean water solutions, and eco-friendly practices, contributing to long-term regional development.
Q&A about the Award 2024 – 2025
Applications open at the end of 2024/beginning of 2025.
See the page "key Dates"
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The initiative needs to be 2 years old or more and have impacted the security of the basics as outlined above.
- Water
- Air
- Food
- Youth Award
You need to complete the questionnaire that is on our partner platform.
Instructions on the application are here.
For more information about the photos we need, follow this link.
See the page "key dates"
The initiatives will be judged based on the following criteria. Sustainability ranks highest followed by innovation. Your initiative needs to fulfil sustainability and one of the other criteria:
- Innovation: The initiative introduces novel or enhanced technologies, models, or practices.
- Sustainability: The initiative demonstrates a positive and lasting social and environmental impact.
- Empowerment: The initiative creates new opportunities for affected communities, empowering their members.
- Scalability: The initiative is capable of scaling beyond the original community.
- Replicability: The initiative can be effectively replicated in other communities, adapting its success to different contexts.
- Impact: The initiative has shown measurable environmental, social, and economic results for at least two years, with significant potential for future impact.
Read more about the criteria here.
Our Committee of experts will select finalists, and these go out for public voting.
No. Application is free of charge.
We are interested in finding initiatives that have addressed some of the basic needs and done that in a sustainable way.
Award winners will enjoy widespread recognition and unique opportunities for global exposure, networking, and more:
At the Award Event:
- Recognition and visibility at the Awards Celebration through live-streaming, social media, news outlets, and broadcast coverage.
- A chance to present their initiative to a global audience.
- A press release to share with media outlets in their home countries.
- An opportunity to network with peers and connect with students, corporations, NGOs, impact investors, and philanthropists.
Other benefits:
- The recognition received helps in attracting government attention and possibly help, or help from other initiatives.
Yes, our team is ready to support you. There will be a help email address published in the newsletter and in the call for applications.
Yes.
Past winners have enjoyed extra publicity which has helped in attracting volunteers, funding, and partners.
Q&A about applications
Subscribe to our newsletter; everyone will get an email when the call opens.
The instructions will be posted when the call for applications opens. An application is a basic form to complete on our judging platform.
You read through the instructions in the call. Use the help pages here.
- Complete the application form.
- As soon as your application is approved (that is to say it fills our basic requirements), you will get an email.
- If you become a finalist, you will be notified by email. During this time, we will probably contact you for more information, more pictures, etc.
1st February.
We ask for pictures, contact details, and details of your initiative.