Long-term resident of Sana’a, Sabrina Faber, has developed a rainwater aggregation system which catches water from the city’s flat-roofed buildings, siphoning it off to water storage tanks on ground level. Tanks store between 10,000 and 50,000 litres of water, which can be filtered for drinking or used in the garden and home. Sabrina’s idea won the Philips Livable Cities Award 2010/2011.

Other finalists:

Inspired by bus terminals in the UK and the prevalence of adverts for mobile phones in Uganda, James Kityo developed a shade stand to protect people from harsh sun and rain, while at the same time providing health education to local community members where most bus stops would have an advert.

Manuel Rapoport found that despite there being only 2.6 metres of green space per person in the city, this inadequate recreational space wasn’t stopping young people in Buenos Aires playing sports. They were just doing it on potentially dangerous roads instead. Manuel designed a temporary recreation kit called Plaza Movil. Designed to be used on side roads during quiet traffic periods like weekends and bank holidays, Plaza Movil provides playground equipment for children and outdoor benches for those who are a bit too old for the swings.