Voting open as young video makers in India compete to support Brazil in solving resource problems

And people now have the opportunity to vote online for the young video makers from Dharnai – a community of 2,400 people in the state of Bihar which is also India’s first fully solar-powered village.

Research experts at the University of Birmingham called on young talents to submit short videos capturing the theme ‘Food, water and energy in my everyday life’. They received entries from around the world and have short-listed 10 videos to be judged by the public vote.

Online voting has now opened and the short-listed three-minute videos can now be viewed online with the winner and runner-up based on the highest number of 'likes'. The 10 videos can be viewed at http://www.foodwaterenergynexus.com/Competition.php. The Dharnai youngsters’ video ‘Save Our Village’ can be viewed at https://youtu.be/avXJxP1kde4.

The 'Food-Water-Energy Challenge ’links Brazil to the rest of the world and is open to anyone aged 10 to 25 at any school, college, university or youth organisation in any country.

It is part of (Re)Connect the Nexus  - a two-year research partnership with Brazilian experts from Sao Paulo State University (UNESP). The project also involves experts from the UK Universities of Northampton and Leicester

Professor Peter Kraftl, from the University of Birmingham, said: “We’re delighted with the response to the competition and received some great videos. We hope that people in India will go online, watch the young people’s work and vote for their favourite.

“The competition has inspired children and young people to produce great videos that we believe will spark debate around Nexus issues – not just in Brazil and the UK. We want to see children and young people around the globe coming together to help solve the problems facing Brazil. Young people make up 42% of Brazil’s population and they have a crucial role to play in securing food, water and energy – we want to connect young Brazilians with the world.”

Competition winners will be announced shortly after online voting closes. They will receive prizes for both themselves and their school, college, university or youth organisation.

Water, energy and food are fundamental to maintaining our society in a sustainable way. There is a complex interdependence between sectors producing these resources and all are subject to similar demographic, economic and climatic pressures.

This is known as the ‘water-energy-food nexus’ and examples include:

·         the amount of energy required to pump water supply systems;

·         water demand for hydroelectric power generation or thermoelectric cooling; and

·         conflict between the use of land for crops aimed at food production and biofuels.

Professor José Antonio Perrella Balestieri, from Faculdade de Engenharia Guaratinguetá at UNESP, said: ““In Brazil, children and young people aged 10 to 25 years are very important for accessing resources, economic productivity, social cohesion and community life, but little research exists on how they affect the water-energy-food nexus.

“If we are to ‘solve’ the nexus, we must first understand young people’s perception and experience of water resources, energy and food. We will survey some 5,000 young people in Brazil - the largest survey of its type - investigating their experiences and addressing crucial issues.”