Fatima Al-Aoun, an Environmental Management master’s student at the Environmental and Biological Studies Centre at the College of Education, Administrative and Technical Sciences at Arabian Gulf University (AGU), has won first place as part of a student team at the DataCosmos Hackathon 2025. The event was organised by the National Space Science Agency under the theme “Unifying the 3Ss: Space, Sustainability, Solutions” in collaboration with Open Cosmos and Bahrain Polytechnic.

With participation of Amal Marzouq, Nour Mohammed, Raghad Ibrahim, Batoul Alsayed, and Fatima Al-Aoun, the winning project focused on transforming floodwater in the Kingdom of Bahrain from an environmental challenge into a sustainable resource. Using satellite data, the team monitored and analysed floodwater collection areas across Bahrain by comparing satellite images captured during heavy rainfall and dry days. They extracted water indicators from these images to identify flood-prone locations, water collection points, and nearby agricultural sites, aiming to promote sustainable water utilisation.

The project proposed sharing the coordinates of these sites with relevant authorities to facilitate rapid intervention and effective management. Additionally, the team suggested reusing this water for industrial cooling and other applications, thereby enhancing sustainability and reducing water wastage.

Fatima Al-Aoun expressed her enthusiasm in winning first place, since the project was rooted in an environmental reality which the team succeeded in transforming to a viable scientific project. The achievement is a testament to teamwork and a shared belief in the role of science in serving both the environment and society.

For her part, Dr Maha Alsabbagh, Head of the Environmental and Biological Studies Centre at AGU, congratulated Fatima Al-Aoun on her success, praising her academic excellence and that of the participating team.