Hackathons

COMUNIDAD Hackathon: AI for Environmental Resilience and Sustainable Development - Advancing Innovation in Chilean Patagonia and Colombia’s Coffee Regions

The COMUNIDAD Hackathons are regional innovation challenges designed to harness the power of advanced technologies for sustainable development, climate resilience, and environmental management across Latin America. Hosted in Chile and Colombia, these events invite experts in Artificial Intelligence (AI), geospatial technologies, and environmental sciences to co-create impactful digital solutions that address local and regional challenges.

These Hackathons are organized under the COMUNIDAD project, a dynamic initiative aimed at fostering technology transfer and capacity building in Latin America, with a focus on Chile and Colombia. COMUNIDAD integrates cutting-edge tools such as Copernicus satellite data, the European Global Navigation Satellite System (EGNSS), Big Data, numerical modelling, and AI to improve land use practices and promote sustainable agriculture and forestry management.

Objectives

• Foster technological innovation in agriculture, forestry, and environmental management through AI and satellite data.
• Develop digital tools to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and climate resilience of natural resource use in Chile and Colombia.
• Promote collaboration between scientists, developers, institutions, and local stakeholders.
• Raise awareness of the COMUNIDAD project and its role in advancing open-source, data-driven solutions for sustainable development

In Chile:

Hosted by the Universidad de Aysén in collaboration with the Agricultural Innovation Agency (FIA) and a strong network of regional partners, the hackathon centers on the Chilean Patagonia, with the objective of designing innovative geospatial solutions for advancing climate adaptation, glacier and lake monitoring, and sustainable forestry, livestock and agriculture through the use of AI, geospatial tools, and remote sensing technologies.

KEY CHALLENGES:

Challenge 1 - Hackea tu Terruño: This challenge invites participants to integrate satellite imagery, UAV (drone) data, and climate records to optimise land use planning and natural resource management in silvoagropecuary systems.

Challenge 2 - IceEnd-Hack: This challenge invites participants to develop geospatial tools to monitor glacier height and glacial lake volume changes. By using multi-temporal satellite imagery and climate data, teams will create solutions that support early warning systems and enhance disaster risk reduction in local communities.

Learn more about the COMUNIDAD Chile Hackathon here.

In Colombia:

Colombia Hackathon: AI for Coffee Region Sustainability

Organised by the Universidad Autonoma de Manizales (UAM) and the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (FNC), this hackathon takes place in Colombia’s coffee-growing regions. The hackathon aims to enhance environmental resilience by applying AI and satellite data. Participants will co-develop tools to assist in deforestation monitoring, landslide risk assessment, and early warning systems.

KEY CHALLENGES:

Challenge 1 - Mapping Critical Landslide Zones
Development of a predictive model using satellite imagery, climate data, and topographic features to identify high-risk landslide areas. The solution should include interactive risk maps and alert tools for stakeholders.

Challenge 1 - Monitoring Land Use Changes in Coffee Plantations
Design of an AI-driven system to classify and monitor changes in coffee cultivation areas, detect deforestation, evaluate environmental impact, and support sustainable practices.

Learn more about the COMUNIDAD Colombia Hackathon here.

Visit the links below for more information, challenge descriptions, and registration details.