WaveSave has been selected as one of MIT Technology Review’s 10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch for 2026. The Dutch company’s inclusion in the annual list recognises its SLAMDAM portable flood barrier, which has already been deployed in Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia to help protect communities, businesses and critical infrastructure against flooding.
The selection was announced on 6 October 2026 and places WaveSave alongside companies developing technologies in areas such as energy storage, clean energy and industrial decarbonisation.
For us, it is a welcome recognition of the work that has gone into developing SLAMDAM and bringing it into practical use. It also draws attention to an area of climate technology that sometimes receives less attention than emission reduction: helping people and communities adapt to the consequences of climate change.
Award
Omar Saleh
2026
Reading time: 2 min
Every year, MIT Technology Review identifies ten companies whose technologies it considers worth watching for their potential contribution to addressing climate change.
In its 2026 selection, the publication highlights WaveSave’s SLAMDAM, a mobile, water-filled flood barrier that can be deployed to protect homes, agricultural land and important infrastructure.
The technology addresses a familiar challenge. Permanent flood defences can be expensive, take years to develop and are not always suitable for locations where flood risks vary or protection is only needed temporarily.
SLAMDAM provides another option. The flexible rubber barrier can be transported to a vulnerable location, unfolded and filled with water using a portable pump. Once filled, it forms a temporary barrier against rising floodwater.
Individual sections can be connected to protect longer stretches of land or infrastructure, while the modular design allows the system to be removed and stored when it is no longer needed.
Depending on the configuration, SLAMDAM can provide protection up to approximately 1.3 metres high.
The technology was first developed in the Netherlands in 2013 and has since been used in at least a dozen countries, according to MIT Technology Review. Applications include the protection of agricultural land, residential areas, hospitals and water treatment facilities.
The publication’s individual feature, WaveSave and its portable rubber dam, looks at both the potential of the technology and the challenges involved in making flood protection more widely available.
One aspect of SLAMDAM that deserves particular attention is its ability to retain freshwater for later use.
This can be valuable in regions that experience both flooding and prolonged dry periods. Water that poses a threat during the rainy season may become an important resource when rainfall is scarce.
MIT Technology Review refers to a project in the Mpanda commune in Burundi, where SLAMDAM was deployed during the 2022 flood season.
According to a United Nations report cited by the publication, farmers with access to the stored water were able to increase agricultural production and double their incomes that year.
This example illustrates why WaveSave considers flood protection and water management to be closely connected. In some situations, the challenge is not simply to keep water away from vulnerable locations, but also to make better use of the water that is available.
It is an approach we continue to explore in projects involving flood protection, water storage and agricultural resilience.
Developing an effective product is one thing. Making sure it can be used and maintained by the organisations that need it is another.
The MIT Technology Review article also addresses this side of the business.
In Kenya, research into the use of SLAMDAM identified challenges relating to ownership, deployment responsibilities and local adoption. The publication also points to affordability as an obstacle for some communities and farmers.
These are important considerations, particularly in countries where the need for flood protection is substantial but financial resources are limited.
A community may benefit from mobile flood barriers, but someone must still be responsible for purchasing, storing, maintaining and deploying them. Training and clear operational arrangements are therefore just as important as the equipment itself.
WaveSave is exploring different approaches to address these challenges, including the possibility of providing flood protection as a service. Local production is another area being considered to reduce transport costs and improve accessibility in international markets.
There is no single solution that will work everywhere. Local circumstances, available budgets and the organisations involved determine how a flood protection project should be implemented.
While SLAMDAM remains an important part of WaveSave’s activities, our work has gradually expanded into other areas of water and climate resilience.
Today, we also work on water storage, rainwater harvesting, irrigation, monitoring, modelling and early warning systems.
The aim is to offer solutions that address the wider water-management challenges faced by governments, water authorities, businesses and communities.
In some projects, a mobile flood barrier may be sufficient. In others, monitoring and early warning may need to be combined with physical protection, improved drainage or water storage.
As highlighted in the MIT Technology Review article, WaveSave is also looking at further international expansion and opportunities to establish local production capacity.
Our ambition is to continue developing practical solutions and making them available in places where they can be of real use.
Being included in MIT Technology Review’s list is encouraging, particularly for a relatively small Dutch company operating internationally. We see it as recognition of the work completed so far, as well as motivation to continue.
“What we increasingly see is that flooding, drought, water availability, agriculture and access to finance are all interconnected. WaveSave’s holistic and localized strategy makes a lot of sense for climate resilience efforts”
– Amy Nordrum, Executive Editor, Operations at MIT Technology Review –
Climate adaptation will become increasingly important as floods, droughts and other water-related risks affect more people and infrastructure around the world.
There is a growing need for solutions that are not only technically effective but also affordable, practical to implement and suitable for local conditions.
That is where WaveSave intends to continue its work.
We appreciate MIT Technology Review’s recognition and the opportunity it provides to bring greater attention to practical flood protection and water resilience.
Read more: MIT Technology Review’s 10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch for 2026 and its dedicated article about WaveSave.
Organisations exploring flood protection or water-management projects can learn more about our SLAMDAM mobile flood barrier or contact WaveSave to discuss their requirements.
