#makethefuture R E I M AGINE M AG NE T IC FORCE S A S A S US TAIN ABLE E C ON OMY NXplorers students in Qatar Science & Technology School for Boys, in Doha, reimagined magnetic forces to develop a solution that reduced the acidity of native soil to increase the arability of the land. Their solution allows crops to be grown in less hospitable environments so Qatar can become a more self-sufficient and prosperous economy, reducing the country’s reliance upon imports. REVEALING FARMING CHALLENGES IN QATAR This team took a deeper look at farming in the region. Farming consists of four stages: Seeding, germination, pollination and irrigation. The NXplorers focused on how they could help farmers make higher quality, higher yield crops while using fewer resources and improving the environment. This was the fundamental problem the students identified – How to make Qatari farming more self-sufficient and reduce the country’s reliance upon costly imports? Copyright of Shell International B.V. CONFIDEN TIAL Khalid Fahad – Hamad Rashid – Hamad Hassan Qatar Science and Technology Secondary School For Boys (QSTSS) H Ho ow w T To o M Ma ak ke e F Fa ar rm mi in ng g M Mo or re e E Ef ff fi ic ci ie en nt t? ? C CH HA AL LL LE EN NG GE E Farming consists of four stages: Seeding, germination, Pollination, and Irrigation we are focusing on how we can make more plants(that are in a good quality) with less resources(water , fertilizer and land) and how we can improve its surroundings The farming industry’s compound annual growth rate is expected to grow 6.3% by 2026 in Qatar. Moreover, due to the blockade Qatar has decided to become more self- sustaining(“ The targeted rate of self sufficiency in the strategy required several steps including activating the existing farms by providing agricultural support, allocating QR75m annually to support the farms specially to the productive farms,” said Al -Marri ( Director of Food Security Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME)) .furthermore, the demand for plant- based oils have skyrocketed as shown in the graph from a city in India: When we accomplish the challenge, it shall make Qatar's farming land more suitable for plant life by removing the high acidity of Qatar's land and therefore less need of water and fertilizer(when the land is salty the land becomes less fertile) which henceforth will make Qatar a more self-sustainable country. N NX XT TH HI IN NK KI IN NG G T TO OO OL LS S Connection circle We used the connection circle to find the main leverage points in farming resources(sunlight ,energy ,machines, soil acidity, soil in water and soil fertility) which were soil acidity(negatively effected soil fertility, soil in water and plant growth) and fertilizers(positively effected plant growth, and water in soil/need less water) . Scenario planning Here we split our options into four outcomes two good(lucky charm, and happy ending) and two bad(water uprising, and wasteland). After we’ve gathered the possibilities, we found that the two good scenarios were more likely to occur and found out magnetized water(lucky charm) was more likely(80%) and better. Feasibility Funnel The feasibility funnel was the critical point of the NXplores program it was where we had to put all our ideas into a filter and if it fit the criteria it would enter the criteria was time to manufacture, then if it is effective(able to cover many achars), after that is cost per 100k then how much of the material we would need to use and of the 10 ideas me and my colleagues came up with only 3 came out which were hydroponics, magnetized water, and personalized fertilizer but of these three we deduced that the best one would be magnetized water due top the fact that it is combating soil acidity which was the strongest leverage point in our connections poster S SO OL LU UT TI IO ON N I ID DE EA A Our solution is: Magnetized water We had a multitude of ideas but the one which seemed most fitting was Magnetized water will drain the sodium from the so il therefore making it more fertile and in less need of water for the soil to make plants to grow. (Simply it is the most effective way of combating soil acidity) F FU UT TU UR RE E P PL LA AN N We will Create machines that create magnetized water then use water pumps which will move the magnetized water around the pipes ,as soon as the water reaches the sprinklers the sprinklers will release the magnetized water on to the fields(cost=500,000per farm, takes 6 weeks for positive changes and it will take 3-7 years for it to be widespread). REVIEWING POTENTIAL AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES To address this challenge the first tool the NXplorers employed was the Connection Circle which they used to identify the four main leverage points in farming resources – sunlight, energy, machines, soil acidity and fertilizers. All these elements affect farming efficiency either negatively or positively. There are lots of potential technologies that the team researched. Personalised fertilisers, hydroponics and magnetized water were considered along with lots of other ideas. REFINING POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS The students then applied the scenario planning and feasibility funnel NXthinking tools to further establish the best technology and the possible pitfalls and positives that they might come across. More than anything it was the NXplorers Feasibility Funnel tool that was the CONCLUSION This project helped the NXplorers students to see that by removing sodium from Qatar’s soil they can increase crop yield, improve local economic prosperity, improve the self-sufficiency of their nation and contribute the UN Sustainable Development Goals. For lots of environmental and geo-political reasons, Qatar is actively working to become a more self- sufficient country, with a self-sustaining economy. This is frequently discussed in the media and is something that NXplorers students from Qatar Science & Technology School for Boys in Doha hear on a day-to-day basis. So, it’s only natural that when they began the NXplorers programme, their first round of thinking was influenced by this big, national challenge. One statistic that the students focused on was a projected growth of 6.3% for Qatar’s farming industry by 2026. In order to support this ambitious goal, the team decided to look at ways to improve soil conditions for Qatari farmers to grow their own crops. Qatar REIMAGINE MAGNETIC FORCES AS A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY Qatar REIMAGINE MAGNETIC FORCES AS A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY 2. Zero hunger End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture 8. Decent work and economic growth Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation HOW THIS PROJECT CONTRIBUTES TO THE UN SDGS critical point in the programme for this idea. Running ten different potential technologies through this tool helped the NXplorers uncover the potential of Magnetized Water. RESTORING THE BALANCE OF SOIL PROPERTIES Magnetized water is easy to create and it reduces acidity by draining sodium from the soil. This process helps the soil retain water and makes it more fertile. Magnetized water used for irrigation in farming has the potential to answer some of Qatar’s most fundamental challenges – water scarcity, food production and self-sufficiency. RESHAPING THE DELIVERY OF THE NXPLORERS PROGRAMME Because of Covid, this NXplorers programme was conducted entirely online. That means that this team were working much more theoretically than is usual. Instead of face-to-face contact with facilitators these NXplorers were working in much more isolation. With this in mind it’s even more impressive that they were able to home in on a local problem and apply practical, tenable solutions with global potential. Magnetized water is easy to create and it reduces acidity by draining sodium from the soil. This process helps the soil retain water and makes it more fertile. #makethefuture R E I M AGINE A BAN AN A A S A T HR I V IN G E C OS YS T EM NXplorers students in Al Fadhil School, Oman, reimagined the land around them as a sea of banana palms by rebuilding the knowledge, skills and applications needed to reintroduce banana trees to the local area. A decline in the number of banana trees grown in recent years and the rise in banana imports had deprived the area of what was once an abundant source of wealth creation. The economic and cultural cost of importing bananas was indentifed by the NXplorers students as a problem they wanted to solve. RETHINKING BANANA IMPORTS The area of Birkat Al Mouz literally translates into Sea of Banana Palms in English as it was a region famous for being rich in bananas. But in recent decades, owing to environmental and economic pressures, farmers had started to grow different kinds of crops or sell their land for other commercial uses. To tackle both of these problems the students needed to address a knowledge gap that had developed, as to grow a plantation requires an extensive understanding of both the variety of seedlings and the micro climate and soil conditions to grow them successfully – an understanding that had diminished in recent years. RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM Beyond the political and economic pressures being put on farmers, the students were able to use NXthinking methodologies to identify two key factors that were hindering the community’s ability to grow banana palms. First, as peak hot season temperatures continue to rise and water scarcity concerns grow, the students acknowledged that these changing conditions were negatively affecting the growth of banana seedlings. Secondly, the students identified that as the numbers of banana palms declined over the years, so did the number of farm workers who had the experience or expertise to grow banana palms affectively. As farmers hired workers without the necessary experience in cultivating bananas, they found that they were no longer capable of effectively maintaining a crop of banana trees. RESTORING THE SKILLS TO GROW BANANA TREES Through the problem solving and prototype creation phase of the project, the NXplorers identified that there were numerous varieties of bananas being grown in the area, each of which required specific conditions and care to be cultivated effectively. Some suited the environmental conditions of certain areas more than others. Taking their research to local farmers and the ministry of agriculture and local businesses, the NXplorers generated interest and support, building a critical mass of enthusiasm to rejuvenate the banana tree CONCLUSION This project helped the NXplorers students to see that by saving a local industry they could directly influence the wellbeing of the area, generate revenue, appeal to tourists, and contribute the UN Sustainable Development Goals. NXplorers in Birkat al Mouz wondered why, an area known as The Sea of Banana Palms, was importing bananas. Through the exploration phase of the project NXplorers students identified the harsh conditions of Oman’s hot temperatures and low rainfall alongside a cultural and agricultural shift away from cultivating banana palms as the major factors. They came up with a plan to reimagine their landscape as one full of banana plantations. They hoped that the idea, rooted in their heritage and culture, would help to seed the knowledge to regrow and replenish their region with a fruitful contribution to the local economy. Oman REIMAGINE A BANANA AS A THRIVING ECOSYSTEM Oman REIMAGINE A BANANA AS A THRIVING ECOSYSTEM 8. Decent work and economic growth Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all 12. Responsible consumption and production Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 15. Life on land Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss HOW THIS PROJECT CONTRIBUTES TO THE UN SDGS plantations of their region of Oman. The local tourist board and other local institutions also got behind the project. A local business, Kawa Kava and the local Al Ittihad Football Club sourced 120 trees from farms in Al Batinah and helped with logistics, while also giving the team a platform to reach an entirely new network of people. As a result, this support brought people from the local community together to plant over 600 new banana palms. Local news outlets shared the story and reinvigorated local interest and appreciation for the bananas. REPLENISHING THE COMMUNITY NXplorers didn’t just look at how they could grow more banana trees, but also the community and systems in which those banana trees would be grown. The NXplorers realised that there was an opportunity to reimagine the bananas they were growing as more than just a source of food, but as a source for materials for other products and other industries. Through their use of NXthinking tools the teams explored a wide range of applications for the fruit from their banana palms and the palms themselves. They provided banana recipe inspiration, directions for making face masks out of banana biproducts, and even demonstrated how to make plates out of the palms themselves. All the products that the students designed were completely natural, completely sustainable and made full use of the local bananas with zero waste. The positive impact to the economy being far greater than the original problem they sought to solve. By replanting bananas, the students were able to engage the community and revive the area’s heritage creating a sustainable and viable ecosystem #makethefuture R E I M AGINE R A I N WAT ER A S A TOOL FO R E DUC AT ION NXplorers students in Miri, Malaysia reimagined evaporating rainwater as a cooling system, providing rural homes with a way to keep cool without relying on unstable power supplies and expensive equipment. Cooler homes mean people can work and the NXplorers students could study without the oppressive heat making it hard to concentrate or relax. Drawing the link between the sun’s heat and the problem, the team reimagined the source of the problem to become the solution to power the sprinklers. RETHINKING AIR CONDITIONING WITHOUT POWER SUPPLIES The weather in Miri is extremely hot and very rainy. Temperatures typically range from 24°C to 31°C, while rainfall can reach 12 inches - the result is unbearably hot and humid conditions indoors and out. These conditions make climate control solutions vital to everyday life. Using NXthinking tools, the students looked at alternatives to air conditioning units which need both a reliable electricity supply and are expensive to run. To improve conditions for Malaysians who live in rural settings without access to reliable electricity, the NXplorers had to rethink the systems that contribute to the stifling environments some of their fellow students were forced to study in. REDUCING THE HEAT USING AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION Using NXthinking tools to fully explore the factors that contribute to the stifling conditions, and looking at all perspectives, they identified the problem was caused by the heat build-up of zinc roofs commonly used as a building material in these areas. REUSING RAINWATER TO LOWER TEMPERATURES The team’s discovery led them to identify with a solution to use the evaporative cooling affect to reduce the heat build-up of zinc which is constantly exposed to both direct and radiant heat. Engineering a sprinkler system that sprayed reused rainwater directly onto the roofs of houses reduced the inside temperatures significantly offering also a significant cost saving over traditional AC units. CONCLUSION This project helped the NXplorers students to see that they could create affordable climate management solutions that produce no waste, contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and improve the social mobility for communities that would otherwise struggle to create productive learning environments for their students. Specifically, the NXplorers identified that cooler temperatures would improve the conditions which allow students to improve their levels of concentration. In Miri, oppressive heat frequently makes it hard for students to engage, limiting their ability to engage with subjects like Science, Maths and Technology which our NXplorers students use so effectively to help solve local and global issues in a sustainable way. Malaysia REIMAGINE R AINWATER AS A TOOL FOR EDUCATION Malaysia REIMAGINE R AINWATER AS A TOOL FOR EDUCATION 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation 10. Reduced inequalities Reduce inequality within and among countries 13. Climate action Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts HOW THIS PROJECT CONTRIBUTES TO THE UN SDGS REDEFINING THE POWER OF THE SUN Given that this solution was designed to function in locations with limited access to electricity, the team had to design a system that could spray water onto zinc roofs by using an off-grid renewable electricity resource. Drawing the link between the sun’s heat and the problem, the team reimagined the source of the problem to become the solution to power the sprinklers. By linking a solar panel up to a battery, the team were able to pump water out of their collection system into a sprinkler that would spray water onto the roofs. RENEWING CONCENTRATION IN STIFLING ENVIRONMENTS Finally, the system linked to a temperature sensor within the house. This sensor is set to trigger the sprinkler system when temperatures exceed the limit that has been set for a healthy work or studying environment - and will run until the temperature inside falls below that threshold. The NXplorers calculated that this system would be six times less expensive than air conditioning units, create no waste and improve the studying conditions for members of their community who would otherwise struggle to concentrate.