Israel Techies Tackle Australia Bush Fire Challenges

The Fellowship | February 4, 2020

Wide image of kangaroo island fire with smoke over most of the land.

Caring for displaced animals and fireproofing infrastructure in Australia is a priority after recent wildfires ravaged the natural landscape. How can the startup nation help? By hosting a 15-hour hackathon to find tech solutions to Australia’s top concerns, reports the Times of Israel:

Participants will be presented with a number of challenges including identify and treat water sources that have been contaminated by flame retardants and ash from fires; detecting and averting online fraud in fundraising efforts; strengthening the Australian economy by encouraging tourism; monitoring and handling air quality in infected areas detecting and caring for animals and their habitat and finding fireproof and emergency solutions for communications and electricity infrastructure.
The organizers said in a statement that they expect some 150 people to take part in the event, including members of the search and rescue brigade of the Israeli army and representatives from the tech and water industries.