quick scan
scan for   wiwe wi we advanced
WI-WE Progress
Progress: 99.65%   WWI-WE Version: 1
0 mandatory questions pending
26 questions total
25 questions answered
25 questions completed
1 question pending
Popular WI-WE Tags
Analysis Back

Mapping Wild Cards

Inspired by: other » A Killer Water Filter

version: 1 / created: 2011-02-01
id: #1541 / version id: #1541
mode: VIEW

Originally submitted by: Jari Kaivo-oja
List of all contributors by versions (mouse over)
Last changed by: Jari Kaivo-oja
WI-WE status:
submitted unpublished

Source of inspiration

Other, please specify:   Scientific American

The source of the Wild Card is

Scientific American. December 2010. 10 World Changing Ideas

Headline

(max. 9 words)

A Killer Water Filter

Description

(approx. 150 words)
Please describe the Wild Card (approx. 150 words)
On in six people lacks access to clean water worldwide making diarrheal illness the leading cause of death globally. Novel materials promise better access to clean water around the world. Researchers have recently developed mobile water filters that can be manufactured for less than a penny. The technology is being tested by the South African Bureau of Standards, after which the researchers plan to dole it out to communities in need.

Keywords

Novel materials, clean water, diarrheal, mobile water filters, health benefits

Mini-description

(max. 250 characters)

Novel materials promise better access to clean water around the world. By combining nanotechnology with cheap materials such as cotton and tea bags, researchers have recently developed mobile water filters that can be manufactured very economically.

Likelihood

Closest timeframe for at least 50% likelihood
Please use one of the following options:
now-2015

Features of life if the wild card manifests

Feature 1: business models and industrial environment
This filter technology is one solution to global clean water problem.
Feature 3: consumers, markets and lifestyles
This innovation can increase access to clean water dramatically and with low costs.
Feature 4: technology and infrastructure
Big possibility to make water management infrastructures better in many developing countries.
Feature 6: health and quality of life
Dramatical improvements in managing diarrheal illness could be achieved by the adoption of this innovation.
Feature 7: security and defence
Better health security for millions of people in poor conditions.

Type of event

Human planned (e.g. terrorist attack or funded scientific breakthrough)

Type of emergence

please select (if any) describe related trend or situation
A contemporary equivalent of past Wild Cards
(e.g. earthquake, tsunami or, similar to the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the USA breaks up into independent countries sometime between 2025-2050, for example)

Type of systems affected

Human-built Systems - E.g. organisations, processes, technologies, etc.

Classification

Desirable

Importance

please specify:
please select
Level 1: important for a particular country Countries with poor water management systems
Level 2: important for a particular world region Africa and Asia
Level 3: important for the European Union Regions without clean waters
Level 4: important for the whole world Regions without clean waters

Early indicators

(including weak signals)

Nanotechnology research has many interesting fields relevant to better health care. This filter technology is one of them. In US, at the Stanford University and South Africa´s Stellenbosch University this kind of research and development work has been promoted.

Latent phase

Obstacles for early indentification

economic filters (business/market interests)
social filters (class, status, education level)

Manifestation phase

Type of manifestation

In a probably enclosed way (e.g. geographically, sectorally)

Aftermath phase

Important implications
Transformation of a system (e.g. new applications, change in stakeholders relations/influence)

Comments

This innovation has large global heath impacts.

Key drivers or triggers

Provide up to 2 possible drivers or triggers of HIGH importance. Click on HELP to see examples:
please describe
Driver / Trigger 1 		please describe
Driver / Trigger 2
Technological/Scientific Nanotechnology
Environmental Clean water is needed everywhere

Potential impacts (risks & opportunities)

Timeframe options
Risks Opportunities
immediate
(within 1 year after the Wild Card manifests) 		Diarrheal elimination
short term
(1 to 5 years after the Wild Card manifests) 		Diarrheal elimination
medium term
(5 to 10 years after the Wild Card manifests) 		Diarrheal elimination
long term
(more than 10 years after the Wild Card manifests) 		Diarrheal elimination

Potential stakeholders' actions

before
it occurs 		after
it occurs
Policy actors (at the international, European and national levels) Piloting the Killer Water Filters Piloting the Killer Water Filters Piloting the Killer Water Filters
Business actors (incl. SMEs) Piloting the Killer Water Filters
Non-for-profit organisations (e.g. NGOs, political parties, social movements, voluntary associations) Creating awareness of the Killer Water Filters
Media Creating awareness of the Killer Water Filters
General public Creating awareness of the Killer Water Filters

Relevance for Grand Challenges

where? please justify:
particularly relevant Europe world
Social exclusion & poverty Possibility to eliminate diarrhel illness and provide clean water to the poor
Techno-security, hazard & risk Possibility to eliminate diarrhel illness
Water security/vulnerability Possibility to eliminate diarrhel illness

Relevance for thematic research areas

please justify:
particularly relevant
Health Possibility to eliminate diarrhel illness

Pan-European strategies potentially helping to deal with the wild card

please justify:
particularly relevant
Facilitating and promoting knowledge sharing and transfer Possibility to eliminate diarrhel illness

 Features of a research-friendly ecology contributing to deal with the wild card

For further information about 'research-friendly strategies' click here

please justify:
particularly relevant
Creating a closer link between researchers & policy-makers
(e.g. supporting both thematic and cross-cutting policies, highlighting the strategic purpose of the European Research Area, etc. 		Possibility to eliminate diarrhel illness globally

Relevance for future R&D and STI policies

Note: RTD = research and technology development; STI = science, technology and innovation
Relevant for European sustainability policy and co-operation in the developing countries. By adoting this technology and delivering it to the Third world European Union could create a lot of goodwill and positive results.