Works through failure
The core workflow must remain useful during an internet outage and synchronize safely when connectivity returns.
UPCOMING HACKATHON · EARLY 2027
Lifeline Nepal · 2027
Build for when everything else fails.
A 48-hour sprint to build practical technology for disaster response and resilience in Nepal.
Registration opening soon
LOCATIONKathmandu, Nepal
WHENEarly 2027
FORMAT48-hour build sprint
TEAM SIZE3–5 people
THE CHALLENGE
One critical decision.
A meaningful difference.
Design for the first 72 hours after a severe flood or landslide. Roads are blocked, power is unreliable, and responders have incomplete information. Your challenge: make one response workflow faster, safer, or more reliable.
Choose a real user, a specific failure scenario, and an outcome you can demonstrate.
CHOOSE YOUR CHALLENGE
Ten ways to make a difference.
01Connect
Emergency communication+
Keep affected communities and responders connected when mobile networks and internet access fail.
Possible builds: Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct mesh messaging, LoRa relays, store-and-forward alerts, offline family check-ins.
02Find
Search, rescue & victim detection+
Help field teams locate, identify and prioritize missing or trapped people without creating duplicate reports.
Possible builds: Drone or thermal review, acoustic detection, last-known-location tools, deduplicated missing-person registries.
03See
Mapping & situational awareness+
Build a shared, time-stamped view of damaged roads, settlements, hazards, shelters and response activity.
Possible builds: Offline-first maps, crowdsourced damage reports, satellite-change review, verified field observations.
04Predict
Early warning & hazard intelligence+
Turn weather, river, terrain and community observations into understandable warnings people can act on.
Possible builds: River-threshold alerts, landslide-risk indicators, last-mile warning delivery, alert confidence levels.
05Reach
Rescue routing & mobility+
Find safe ways to reach isolated people when bridges fail, roads are blocked and conditions change quickly.
Possible builds: Dynamic route planning, foot and air access maps, evacuation sequencing, safe rendezvous coordination.
06Treat
Emergency medical response+
Support triage, referrals and continuity of care in low-power, low-connectivity field conditions.
Possible builds: Offline triage records, referral coordination, medication availability, responder decision-support checklists.
07Supply
Relief logistics+
Get water, food, medicine, shelter materials and equipment to the right place without gaps or duplication.
Possible builds: Needs-to-inventory matching, last-mile dispatch, delivery proof, equitable allocation and stock forecasting.
08Coordinate
Command & verified information+
Give agencies and local responders one actionable operating picture while keeping decisions accountable.
Possible builds: Incident dashboards, task handoffs, report verification, source and timestamp tracking, rumor control.
09Shelter
Safe shelter & family reunification+
Match displaced people with safe, accessible shelter and help separated families reconnect securely.
Possible builds: Capacity and accessibility tracking, privacy-aware registration, reunification workflows, protection referrals.
10Recover
Damage assessment & recovery+
Move from immediate response to transparent assessment, assistance and safer rebuilding.
Possible builds: Rapid building surveys, loss documentation, aid case tracking, resilient reconstruction and livelihood tools.
THE EXPERIENCE
From context to a working prototype.
- Before the sprint
Context, teams & field insight
Two short orientation sessions introduce Nepal's disaster-response structure, lived community needs, available datasets, safety, privacy and challenge-track mentors.
- Hours 0–8
Choose one decision to improve
Teams validate a specific user, location and failure scenario, map the current workflow and define one measurable response outcome.
- Hours 8–32
Build, test and break it
Teams prototype with domain and technical mentor rounds, then run an outage test, incomplete-data test and field-usability review.
- Hours 32–48
Refine and demonstrate
Teams close critical gaps, document risks and handoff needs, and prepare a live scenario-based demonstration for judges.
- After the sprint
Field review & pilot pathway
Selected teams enter a structured review with potential users. Promising prototypes receive technical hardening, testing and partner-pilot support.
THE DETAILS
Come prepared to build.
Prototype requirements
Built for Nepal's terrain
Design for remote settlements, blocked roads, limited power, low-cost devices and handoffs between local and national responders.
Usable under pressure
A first-time user should understand the critical action quickly. Support Nepali and English where language affects safety.
Responsible with human data
Collect the minimum sensitive data, explain access and retention, and never expose victims through public-by-default systems.
Clear about uncertainty
Every report, prediction or AI output needs a source, timestamp and confidence state so responders can judge its reliability.
Ready to hand over
Use open formats where practical and document how a municipality, responder or community group could operate the prototype.
Submission checklist
- A working prototype and a live, scenario-based demonstration
- A defined user, workflow, and measurable response outcome
- An architecture diagram and an offline or failure-mode test
- A data, privacy, safety, and misuse note
- A 90-day pilot plan and an implementation guide
How projects are evaluated
25% · Problem relevance
A specific, evidenced need in the disaster workflow—not a generic app with a disaster label.
25% · Resilience & field readiness
Useful under connectivity, power, device and data constraints, with graceful failure behavior.
15% · Usability & inclusion
Clear under pressure and considerate of language, disability, age, geography and digital literacy.
15% · Technical execution
A working core flow, credible architecture, sensible tradeoffs and a demonstrable prototype.
10% · Impact & adoption
A measurable response improvement and a realistic path to ownership, deployment and maintenance.
10% · Safety, privacy & trust
Responsible data handling, transparent uncertainty and protection from harmful misuse.
Partner opportunities
Response partners
Shape real workflows, mentor teams and test whether prototypes make sense in the field.
Data partners
Prepare safe, documented weather, mapping, infrastructure or simulated incident datasets.
Technology partners
Provide mapping, communications, cloud, edge, device or compute tools—with offline alternatives.
Academic partners
Recruit multidisciplinary teams, host preparation sessions and support applied research.
Community partners
Keep lived experience, accessibility and local response practices inside the design process.
Funding partners
Support event delivery, participant access, prizes and the harder work of post-event pilots.
After the event
Selected teams enter a field review with potential users. Promising prototypes receive a structured pathway toward technical testing and partner pilots. Finalists document their failure-mode tests, operational handoff, and lessons for future builders.
YOUR NEXT BUILD
Build something that matters.
Bring your curiosity, your skills, and an interest in making disaster response more resilient. Register your interest in Lifeline Nepal · 2027 to hear about next steps.
The event is planned for early 2027. Exact dates and venue details will be announced. Registering interest does not confirm a place.
Have a question? Get in touchBE PART OF LIFELINE NEPAL