Social Hackathon

For the first time in IGARSS history, more than 300 dedicated and passionate participants from IGARSS 2024 came together as volunteers to create two groundbreaking and impactful animation spots, together with 700 middle school students from across Greece - Attica, Pieria, Kalymnos Island, Kos Island, Thessaloniki, Crete, Pyrgos of Ilia and Evros.

As part of the conference, the innovative Social Hackathon showcased its commitment to sustainability by engaging volunteer geoscientists and middle school students in creating two animations titled "The Odyssey of Water". The participating scientists represented 38 countries, including Azerbaijan, Canada, Egypt, the Netherlands, Argentina, China, Australia, Colombia, Afghanistan, Cyprus, Belgium, Malaysia, Brazil, Norway, France, South Korea, Germany, Hungary, Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Switzerland, Poland, Greece, Russia, the United States, Sudan, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan, Turkey, India, the Philippines, Iran, Finland, Ireland, Chile, Spain, and Italy.

This unique collaboration has set a new standard for our conference, demonstrating the power of collective action and shared purpose. The animations aim to send a powerful message, raising global awareness around the critical sustainability issue, of WATER conservation—one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Through this creative initiative our Social Hackathon "The Odyssey of Water" The power of 1000 people, have enabled a meaningful platform for change, sparking conversations and driving global action towards a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future. Together, we are empowering communities to rethink their relationship with water and sustainability, making a lasting impact that extends far beyond our conference walls.

The animation spots, with their powerful sustainability messages, have the potential to be broadcasted in various countries pro-bono, ensuring that this critical message reaches communities worldwide. Their impact will be significant, as they combine awareness-raising content with compelling call to actions.