Organized by the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies, Hack for Humanity is an annual humanitarian focused hackathon at Brown University that brings together students to learn about the most pressing needs in the human rights and humanitarian sphere and develop creative ideas for innovative programs or technologies that could help improve the lives of disaster and conflict affected communities around the world.
Hack for Humanity 2022 | Global Climate Change: Exploring Scalable Solutions to Climate Induced Disasters
This year's hackathon will focus on how to better prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change on societies across the globe. Students will work together over the course of two days to develop creative ideas for innovative programs, systems, or technologies that could improve how we anticipate, prepare for, and/or respond to climate induced disasters. While your team has the flexibility to address any area that is applicable to the overarching topic of global climate change and the associated societal impacts, we have provided a list of potential subtopics that you could draw from to narrow your focus. It will also be important that your team recognize the below listed cross cutting issues as you work towards developing your project pitch.
Potential Sub-Topics to Consider
These listed sub-topics have been provided to help your team get started in identifying a focus area to address. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it gives an indication of the wide-ranging impact that climate change has on society. Your team is welcomed to focus your efforts on one of these themes or identify another area altogether that is applicable to the overarching topic of global climate change.
Early warning systems; Anticipatory funding mechanisms; Adaptation and resilience strategies
Food and water security; Infectious diseases; Mental health
Economic impacts on displaced and host communities; Access to housing and education
Carbon footprint of the humanitarian system; Utilization of green energy technologies
Cross-Cutting Issues
As climate change alters global ecosystems, the transformative effects are felt worldwide across all sectors. While climate change affects our planet as a whole, its most negative impacts disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, including but not limited to racial and ethnic minorities, indigenous communities, women, children, and marginalized groups. As such, climate change is not only an environmental, political, and humanitarian issue - but also critical to human rights.
We ask that your team take these following issues into consideration as you work on your project pitch to ensure your solutions are inclusive and reach those that are disproportionately affected by climate change.
Cross-Cutting Issues
Inclusivity of racial and ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, elderly, women and children, marginalized groups.