Rising Above the Heat: Innovative Cooling Solutions for Rural Women in Asia

In this challenge, we aim to discover and test cooling storage solutions designed specifically for rural women in Bangladesh and Cambodia. These innovations will enhance their ability to adapt, minimize losses caused by heat, and foster economic stability and food security within agricultural and related sectors.

Extreme heat is compounding Asia's food waste crisis — currently, over 50% of global food waste comes from the region. Women in agriculture, lacking access to cooling, fall further into poverty and face deepened gender inequalities. Sustainable cooling solutions are key to mitigating these challenges.

In rural areas, the lack of sustainable cooling solutions leads to substantial post-harvest losses for women in agriculture, undermining food security and economic stability while exacerbating their vulnerability to climate change and heat-related stress.

Step up to the Technology Innovation Challenge and create innovative cooling solutions to empower rural women, advance food security, and strengthen resilience to extreme heat.