Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Presidential School in Tashkent has been announced as the winner of the Zayed Sustainability Prize 2025 in the category "Global Schools for Europe and Central Asia." The school was recognized for its innovative project addressing the water scarcity issue, which involves creating a rainwater collection and filtration system to ensure safe drinking water.

The project involves implementing filtration systems using granular activated carbon (GAC) and green sand filters in 150 schools across Uzbekistan, with a particular focus on the Kashkadarya region, where access to water is extremely limited. The system is designed to collect and filter rainwater, providing a sustainable and scalable solution for over 45,000 people in the region, while promoting environmental responsibility through the creation of eco-committees in participating schools.

Dr. Lamya Fawaz, Director of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, highly praised the school’s efforts: "The Presidential School in Tashkent has demonstrated how young minds can drive transformative change by addressing one of the world’s most pressing issues—access to clean water. Their project not only offers a practical solution but also instills a sense of environmental responsibility among students and their communities, creating a long-term impact for future generations."

Mamua Ashuralievna Tadzhibaeva, Director of the Presidential School in Tashkent, remarked: "Our students have not only won this prestigious award but have also paved the way for a brighter and more sustainable future for our planet. Their commitment shows that even small actions can lead to significant change."

Inspired by challenges related to glacial melting, increasing rainfall, and limited access to clean water in Uzbekistan, the students conducted extensive research and developed an affordable, efficient, and durable water filtration system. Using easily accessible materials, the project ensures sustainability and scalability, allowing communities to benefit for decades.

The US$150,000 prize will allow the school to implement the project, which includes building and installing 150 filtration systems and creating a network of eco-committees responsible for maintaining the systems and promoting sustainability initiatives. The project aims to inspire students to critically think about sustainable practices and provide communities with a long-term solution to water scarcity.

The Zayed Sustainability Prize is awarded to organizations and schools for their significant and innovative solutions in health, nutrition, energy, water, climate change, and global education. Since its inception, the prize has positively impacted the lives of more than 407 million people worldwide, continuing the visionary legacy of the UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Since 2013, the prize has recognized 56 schools in the "Global Schools" category from regions such as the Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Europe and Central Asia, South Asia, and the East Asia and Pacific region. To date, these projects have affected more than 56,599 students and 480,660 people from their broader communities.