New York, NY, June 23, 2025 — The International Rescue Committee (IRC), in collaboration with Wazoku and SeaFreight Labs, has announced the winner of its global crowdsourcing challenge aimed at transforming irrigation systems in conflict-affected northeast Syria. The winning solution offers a sustainable, low-cost alternative to fossil fuel-powered irrigation, addressing a critical barrier to food security in the region.
Years of conflict have devastated Syria’s agricultural infrastructure, leaving farmers with damaged water stations, disrupted supply chains, and soaring fuel prices. These challenges have made it increasingly difficult to irrigate crops, threatening both livelihoods and food availability across the region.
To address this, the IRC launched the “Reducing Fossil Fuel Dependency of Syrian Irrigation Systems” challenge to Wazoku’s Innocentive crowd of problem solvers, inviting innovators from across the globe to propose affordable, efficient alternatives to fossil fuel-powered irrigation.
The winning solution, developed by Yury Bodrov of the Russian Federation, was chosen out of 69 submissions from 27 countries and awarded $20,000. The design features an innovative all-season sand battery paired with a Stirling engine. This system stores solar thermal energy in sand and converts it into electricity to power submersible pumps—enabling irrigation even when sunlight is unavailable.
In addition to the grand prize, three submissions received Honorable Mentions: a team from Texas A&M University, Sebastiano Levi, and Pradeep Hebballi.
Alongside the main challenge, a research exercise was conducted to explore the commercial availability and feasibility of Stirling engines. Mike Matessa of the United States was awarded $5,000 for successfully validating Yury’s proposal.
The IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab is now working with partners at Engineering for Change to prototype and test the winning solution with Syrian farmers, ensuring the system meets the needs of local communities and exploring the potential to scale beyond Syria for broader impact.
“This challenge represents a critical step in our efforts to support climate-resilient agriculture in conflict zones,” said Amey Bansod, Climate Resilience Designer at the IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab. “Yury’s solution offers a promising path forward for farmers facing extreme adversity.”
Steven Drew, Open Innovation Lead at Wazoku, added: “Yury exemplifies the best of our global solver community—bringing deep expertise and a passion for impact to one of the world’s most urgent challenges.”
To learn more about the IRC’s open innovation initiatives, visit: https://www.innocentive.com/showcases/international-rescue-committee
Figure: The winning prototype—a sand battery and Stirling engine system—offers a renewable, cost-effective solution to power irrigation in Syria without fossil fuels.
Cross-section of the winning prototype:
