A former NASA researcher has won a $100,000 global award for developing a toilet that works without conventional flushing water or sewer connections, offering an alternative to communities struggling with inadequate sanitation infrastructure. Diana Yousef, founder and CEO of change:WATER Labs, received the 2026 Global Citizen Waislitz Disruptor Award for her company’s iThrone technology, which uses a specialised membrane and evaporation to extract moisture from human waste and reduce its volume. According to Global Citizen, the innovation has already improved access to safe sanitation for more than 20,000 people across Uganda, Panama and the United States. The award will support the company’s expansion plans, with an ambition to reach millions more people by 2027.
From NASA research to a waterless toilet reaching 20,000 people
Diana Yousef’s journey towards developing the iThrone began with her work on water-treatment challenges associated with space exploration.According to an MIT News report published on February 23, 2021, Yousef was working on a NASA water-treatment initiative in 2009 that explored ways to recycle water for space agriculture. During the project, she began considering whether similar approaches to managing limited water resources could help communities on Earth that lacked reliable sanitation infrastructure.She subsequently developed the idea into a sanitation technology through change:WATER Labs, a company she co-founded with researchers associated with MIT. Yousef serves as its founder and CEO.The company developed the iThrone as a standalone sanitation system that does not depend on conventional water-flushing mechanisms or sewer networks. Its purpose is to make toilets easier to install and maintain in places where building traditional sewage infrastructure is difficult or expensive.
How does the waterless iThrone toilet work?
Unlike conventional toilets that use water to flush human waste into drainage systems, the iThrone uses an evaporation-based process to reduce the moisture content and volume of waste.The system uses a specialised, breathable membrane that draws moisture out of the collected waste. Water passes through the membrane as vapour, while the remaining material is retained for collection and appropriate disposal.The technology is designed to reduce the amount of waste that needs to be removed from the toilet, allowing it to operate for longer periods between servicing.According to MIT’s 2021 report, Yousef said the system could reduce the need for waste collection from daily servicing to once or twice a month, changing the economics of sanitation in communities with limited infrastructure.The technology also aims to control unpleasant odours and prevent leakage, making it possible to install facilities closer to densely populated communities. The toilet does not make human waste disappear entirely. The residual material still requires appropriate collection and disposal.
How the waterless toilet was tested in Uganda
One of the early deployments of the iThrone took place at a hospital in Kiboga, Uganda, where two standalone waterless bathrooms were installed in 2020.According to MIT News, women visiting the hospital’s neonatal clinic began using the facilities as an alternative to the pit latrines commonly available in the region. The toilets offered a cleaner and more private option for patients and visitors.During the pilot, the facilities were being used by approximately 400 people every week. The company reported minimal odour and no leakage, indicating that the system could operate close to densely populated areas.The early deployment demonstrated how waterless sanitation facilities could serve healthcare settings and communities where conventional sewage infrastructure was unavailable.The Uganda project was subsequently interrupted by COVID-19 travel restrictions, according to MIT’s report published in February 2021.
Why access to safe sanitation remains a global challenge
The technology addresses a major gap in global sanitation infrastructure. According to the World Health Organization’s November 2026 sanitation fact sheet, approximately 3.4 billion people lacked safely managed sanitation services in 2024. Of these, 354 million continued to practise open defecation, while 1.5 billion people did not have even basic sanitation services.Poor sanitation increases the risk of diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid and intestinal worm infections. It can also contribute to malnutrition and environmental contamination when human waste is not safely managed.The problem is particularly challenging in informal settlements, refugee camps and remote communities, where installing conventional sewage networks can be expensive and difficult.Women and girls can also face additional safety and privacy concerns when toilets are unavailable or located far from their homes. In schools and healthcare facilities, inadequate sanitation can affect attendance, hygiene and access to essential services.Technologies such as the iThrone are designed to address some of these challenges by reducing dependence on conventional water supplies and sewage connections.
Diana Yousef wins $100,000 Waislitz Disruptor Award
Yousef received the 2026 Global Citizen Waislitz Disruptor Award, presented jointly by Global Citizen and the Waislitz Foundation. The winners were announced on August 18, 2026.The Waislitz Awards distribute a total of $300,000 annually across three categories, with each recipient receiving $100,000 to support their organisation’s work.The other 2026 recipients were:Smart Israel: Founder and CEO of Nigeria-based Smartel Agri Tech, which develops AI-enabled, solar-powered hydroponic farming systems. He received the Grand Prize.Oghenekevwe William Emadago: Founder and COO of Girlified, a Nigerian organisation that turns agricultural waste into affordable sanitary pads. She received the People’s Choice Award.The awards recognise individuals and organisations developing solutions to challenges associated with poverty and inequality. Applicants are evaluated on global citizenship, proof of concept, disruption, scalability and adaptability.The $100,000 award will help change:WATER Labs expand the distribution of its iThrone toilets and make the technology available to more communities without conventional sanitation infrastructure.According to Global Citizen and the Waislitz Foundation, the company aims to scale distribution to millions more people by 2027.The expansion plan focuses on making the technology more widely available in locations where reliable water supplies and sewage connections are difficult to access. The company intends to build on its deployments across Uganda, Panama and the United States as it works towards that target.
