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Water On The Route
Design Question
How might we provide migrants with safe, accessible resources to filter water during their journey through remote and neglected areas, while also raising awareness about water safety and their rights to access it?
Insight, Idea, Impact:
Migrants crossing the Darién Gap face extreme risks, with dehydration and waterborne disease among the most common causes of illness and death. While water filters exist, they are often too bulky, expensive, or unsuited for the rugged, fast-paced conditions migrants face. The insight was that a survival tool must be simple, lightweight, and easy to distribute. The idea: combine critical information and water purification into a single, accessible format, a brochure made from filtration paper embedded with copper nanoparticles. Unlike conventional filters, this one is locally produced, cost-effective, and easy to carry.
Awards:
-Nora E. Vaughan Award for Industrial Design (2025)
-Selected by OCAD U's Global Centre for Climate Action (2025)
Each year, thousands of migrants risk their lives crossing the Darién Gap, a dense, lawless jungle between Colombia and Panama in search of safety and opportunity. One of the deadliest threats they face is dehydration and illness from drinking contaminated water. This project offers a dual-purpose solution: a biodegradable brochure that serves as both an educational guide and a water filter. Embedded with copper nanoparticles, the paper eliminates 99% of bacteria from any source. Distributed through UNICEF-led workshops, it equips migrants with the tools and knowledge to stay safe and hydrated, turning information into survival.
