Damascus/New York, 28 October 2026 – Years of conflict have damaged Syria’s infrastructure and left gaps in records showing where underground water, sewerage, telecommunications and electricity networks run. Without reliable information, rehabilitation teams risk damaging existing services as they work to restore them.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched a global call for technologies that can locate and map these networks, helping teams plan rehabilitation work and avoid further damage.

“As Syria advances its recovery efforts, reliable information is essential for rebuilding infrastructure safely and efficiently,” said Melanie Hauenstein, UNDP Resident Representative in Syria. 

“By inviting innovators from around the world to contribute practical solutions, we are looking to identify technologies that can help rehabilitation teams work with greater confidence, protect vital services, and strengthen the foundation for long-term recovery and development,” she said.

The call is open to companies, engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs and other innovators. UNDP is seeking technologies already in use, adaptations or combinations of existing products, and new approaches that could be deployed in real-world conditions.

The initiative is being delivered with support from Wazoku, whose Innocentive platform connects organisations with a global community of more than 700,000 problem-solvers. SeaFreight Labs is also supporting the initiative. 

“This challenge is an opportunity to positively impact people trying to recover from the terrible tragedy of the destruction of their communities,” said Harry Sangree, Founder and CEO of SeaFreight Labs. “This is a rare situation in which an engineer can become a hero by bringing new thinking to an old problem.”

Solutions should help teams identify underground utilities and produce usable maps, including in dense urban areas, difficult terrain and locations where infrastructure records are incomplete or outdated.

Better mapping could also provide more reliable records for future maintenance, planning and rehabilitation, reducing the need to repeat surveys and helping teams make better-informed decisions.

The call is open for submissions until 4 January 2027.

To learn more and submit a solution, visit the Detecting Hidden Underground Utilities for Safer Rehabilitation in Syria Challenge.

For more information on UNDP’s innovation initiatives, visit the UNDP Innovation Challenge showcase.

Contact: Patrick Nicholson, Crisis Bureau, UNDP, patrick.nicholson@undp.org