Question: As a young female inventor and scientist, what spearheaded your interest in developing a new and inexpensive method to clean water using solar power?

 

Deepika Kurup: Every summer, my family and I travel across the world to visit relatives in India, a country infamous for its scorching summers, where the only relief from the heat is to drink plenty of water. In America, I always had the privilege of having unlimited access to potable water; however, outside my grandparents’ house in India, I caught a glimpse of a different world – a world without clean water. I saw children fill vessels with polluted water from nearby streams, and I watched them drink water that I felt was too dirty to touch. I wanted to find out why these children lacked access to safe water, a substance that is essential for life, and learned that we are facing a global water crisis. According to the World Health Organization, one-ninth of the global population lacks access to clean water. This unacceptable social injustice compelled me to find a solution to the world’s clean water problem.

 

Question: What challenges / barriers do you feel you have faced as a young female scientist? And what advice would you give to those that want to work in the same field?

 

Deepika Kurup: The biggest challenge I have faced as a young scientist usually involves people initially not taking me seriously because of my age. While I do understand their skepticism, I make sure that by the end of our conversations they know how serious and passionate I am about tackling the global water crisis. Fortunately, I have found that the majority of the time people are very enthusiastic about working with and guiding young, energetic scientists. The advice I would give to anyone who is interested in taking action to solve the global water crisis would be to continue to persevere into making the vision of clean water for all a reality. When trying to overcome problems on such a global scale it is easy to get discouraged, so it is essential to remember that it is possible to eventually achieve these goals. To other young scientists, the biggest piece of advice I can give is to connect with experts in the field and learn more from them. While initially it may be intimidating, experts are usually happy to share their knowledge with enthusiastic youth. I have found that having conversations with people is one of the best ways to learn more about issues and how you can make a difference.

 

Question: How does your present work related to the Sustainable Development Goals?

 

Deepika Kurup: Sustainable Development Goal #6 focuses on ensuring access to clean water and sanitation for all. Over the past four years I have been working on developing a safe, sustainable, cost-effective and eco-friendly water purification method. The technology I developed is based on a process called photocatalysis. The purification system uses solar energy in order to remove bacteria, organics, and many other contaminants from drinking water. I have recently founded Catalyst for World Water (CWW), a social enterprise aimed at bringing the technology that I have developed out of the lab and into the field. By harnessing solar energy, the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source, and utilizing an inexpensive catalyst that can be reused, CWW technology helps accelerate progress towards a sustainable water future.

 

Question: As a recent speaker at this year’s “International Youth Day 2016: Youth Leading Sustainability”, why is innovation and the contributions of young people important to sustainable consumption and production?

 

Deepika Kurup: There is no doubt that innovation has been critical in changing the way we live today. We have built cities that overflow with bright lights and motorized vehicles, cell phones that send messages across the planet in less than a second, and the Internet, which allows us to access a seemingly unlimited amount of information at our fingertips. Innovation is important to Sustainable Consumption and Production because in order to live more sustainably, we must find new ways to harness renewable resources, produce less waste, combat climate change, and protect our planet. We cannot continue to follow the same lifestyles we have been following over the last century; we must innovate new ways to lead sustainable lifestyles. The contributions of young people are especially significant to sustainable consumption and production because young people have fresh perspectives that allow them to solve problems in new ways. Young people are also often “naive”— they do not foresee the challenges that frequently stop older generations from acting on new ideas. While this inexperience is often seen as a disadvantage, it allows youth to follow through with their innovative ideas without getting easily discouraged.

 

Question: Why is youth empowerment crucial to the success of the Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 12, on responsible consumption and production?

 

Deepika Kurup: Youth and children consist of almost 40% of the global population, with 85% of the world’s youth living in developing countries. It is nearly impossible to achieve these Sustainable Development Goals without empowering such a significant group in the world. It is essential that we empower youth to take action to shape their future because if they do not, they will be left with a planet that lacks the resources they need to survive. The actions of youth are what set the trends and standards for future generations to come, so it is crucial that they take on the responsibility of achieving sustainable consumption and production. With their fresh perspectives, youth truly have the power to revolutionize the world.

 

 

About the Author:

Deepika Kurup (@TheDeepikaKurup) is a student, scientist, and social entrepreneur. She was recognized as “America’s Top Young Scientist” in 2012 and won the grand prize in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. In 2014, she was honoured with the “United States President’s Environmental Youth Award” and was named one of the 2015 Forbes’ “30 Under 30: Energy”. Along with research, Deepika is passionate about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education, and feels that it has the power to revolutionize the world. In her free time she enjoys giving talks and writing articles to encourage students all around the world to pursue studies in STEM, and to increase awareness of the global water crisis.