By Marília Lara
At three o’clock in the morning, somewhere beneath the streets of a growing city, a pipe begins to fail. No one sees it. No alarm sounds. Water escapes quietly into the soil, litre by litre, hour by hour. By the time the leak surfaces as a flooded street or a sudden drop in pressure, thousands of litres are already gone.
For decades, resilience has often been understood as the ability to respond when disruption arrives. That definition is becoming too narrow. In a century shaped by climate pressure, strained infrastructure and rising demand, resilience increasingly depends on something else: the capacity to anticipate stress, adapt early and act with greater precision. This is where artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape what is possible.
In water systems, healthcare and other essential services, AI is helping institutions move from reactive models toward predictive ones. It can detect weak signals in complex systems, reveal patterns invisible to the human eye and support faster decisions when time matters most.
At Stattus4, we have seen how AI can strengthen resilience in water management. Our platforms have analysed more than nine million water meters, helping utilities identify losses, prioritise repairs and recover more than 250,000 cubic metres of water. Across more than 250 municipalities, these tools are helping safeguard supply for nearly four million people. The underlying principle is simple, yet powerful. The earlier a risk is understood, the greater the chance of avoiding disruption.
That same principle is transforming healthcare. In Argentina, Mamotest, winner of the 2022 Zayed Sustainability Prize’s Health category, has used AI powered tele mammography to expand access to early breast cancer detection, particularly in underserved communities. Since receiving the Prize, the company has helped more than 750,000 women, trained more than 3,500 healthcare workers, and expanded further with additional investment. Today, nearly 90 per cent of cancer patients in its network are diagnosed early enough for treatment.
Different sectors. Different technologies. A shared lesson.
When applied well, artificial intelligence does more than improve efficiency. It helps systems endure. It strengthens the capacity to absorb shocks and continue serving people under pressure. That is resilience in practice.
This is why institutions that identify and back these solutions matter so much. The Zayed Sustainability Prize has spent nearly two decades doing precisely that. Established to honour the legacy of Sheikh Zayed, the Prize has become a global platform for innovators advancing practical solutions in health, food, energy, water, climate action and education. Through 139 winners, it has positively impacted more than 411 million lives.
The Prize rewards innovation after success is already secured, but it also helps promising solutions scale. It gives innovators credibility. It connects them to new partners and new markets. For many, that support can change the trajectory of a solution.
I have seen this first hand. Winning the Water category of the Zayed Sustainability Prize this year in Abu Dhabi was an extraordinary honour for Stattus4. It was also a reminder that grassroots innovation, when properly supported, can move far beyond its point of origin.
The Prize’s expanded funding model reflects that belief. With a total of US$7.2 million in awards, including support for finalists as well as winners, it is creating more pathways for impact. It is also helping bring proven solutions to communities that need them most. This is how systems change can be unlocked: through patient support for ideas that work.
There is a wider message here for Latin America.
This region has no shortage of ingenuity. It has entrepreneurs building tools for water security, digital health, sustainable agriculture and climate resilience. It has young innovators developing solutions in classrooms and communities. What many need is greater visibility, stronger networks and the means to scale.
The opening of submissions for the Zayed Sustainability Prize 2027 cycle is an opportunity for innovators across Latin America to bring forward ideas with the potential to serve communities far beyond their borders.
If resilience will define the future, then innovation must help shape it. And if artificial intelligence is opening new ways to strengthen systems, now is the moment to back those applying it with purpose.
I would encourage innovators, entrepreneurs, nonprofits and schools across the region to apply. Latin America has solutions the world needs.
Submissions for the 2027 cycle are now open. The invitation is simple: bring your idea forward. Show what it can do. Help build the resilience this century demands.
Apply here: www.ZayedSustainabilityPrize.com.