At the Sanitation Hackathon, civic technologists will develop solutions to challenges facing the sanitation sector.
This December civic technologists will team up with subject matter experts in an intensive marathon to find innovative solutions to challenges facing the sanitation sector. The event, born of a global partnership among The World Bank, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Random Hacks of Kindness, Eirene, Nokia, Open Cities, and Civic Commons, among others, will take place simultaneously in several cities around the world December 1-2. 
Linking problems with solutions
The Sanitation Hackathon challenges programmers to develop innovative software solutions that address real-world problems in sanitation. During the months leading up to the event, subject matter experts and members of the public will create, submit and vote on problem definitions that highlight specific sanitation challenges that could be mitigated by innovative ICTs. Then, during a weekend-long marathon event, teams of programmers in cities around the world will develop innovative solutions to these problem definitions.
The Sanitation Hackathon emerges out of the recognition that the rapid increase of penetration, awareness and literacy in information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the developing world can transform water and sanitation management. Mobile phones, the Internet and open data are creating new entry points to make sanitation services more transparent, inclusive and participatory while forging new connections between the government, its citizens and the private sector.
