South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI) hosts the G20 Research and Innovation Working Group (RIWG) Hackathon, a virtual sprint running from Tuesday to Friday, under the theme “Disaster Risk Reduction through Open Innovation (DRR-OI)”. This initiative is a key pillar of this year’s G20 RIWG agenda, bringing global talent together to tackle the mounting risks of climate-driven disasters.
This year’s hackathon challenges multidisciplinary teams to engineer cutting-edge tools that forecast informal urban expansion and analyze its implications for flood risk, leveraging advanced digital platforms and real-world data.
Participants from both G20 and partner nations are working together through digital platforms while adhering to ethical and responsible AI norms. Their goal is to provide scalable, empirically supported solutions that guide policy and urban development in quickly expanding cities.
South Africa’s representation includes rising innovators such as Charles Takalana, Deputy Director at the International Astronomical Union Office of Astronomy for Development in Cape Town. His involvement highlights the strength of local scientific and entrepreneurial expertise and ensures that African urban realities are central to globally relevant strategies.
By September 23, final prototypes and solution demonstrations will be unveiled at the G20 RIWG Ministerial Meeting, a platform expected to influence high-level dialogues on climate adaptation, urban resilience, and the integration of digital innovation into sustainable development policy.
