المملكة: Specialist: 2.1 billion people lack safe water and a call to extract it from the air

Raising awareness of the importance of fresh water as a lifeline is an utmost necessity to confront the Global water scarcity, which deprives about 2.1 billion people of Safe drinking water services, which requires highlighting the necessity of sustainable management of water resources and innovative technical solutions to ensure a safe and sustainable future for future generations.

Njoud Al-Harbi, a researcher at the College of Marine Sciences at King Abdulaziz University, explained to Al-Youm, on the occasion of World Water Day, that the sustainability of water resources faces a fundamental challenge represented by the disruption of the water cycle as a result of Accelerating climate change.

Increased evaporation

Njoud Al-Harbi said: "Rising temperatures lead to an increase in evaporation and disruption of precipitation patterns, with rainfall increasing in short periods and accompanied by longer periods of drought, in addition to the effect of melting ice and rising sea levels in reducing fresh water."

She added that the situation is worsening with global water scarcity, as about 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services, according to United Nations reports, with the increasing risks of floods and droughts, and the intensification of extreme weather phenomena, according to reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

She continued: "Locally, the challenges are clearly evident in the Kingdom due to limited renewable water resources, the rapid depletion of groundwater, and the heavy reliance on water desalination, which constitutes about 60% of civil supplies, with the associated high costs of energy and transportation and a noticeable environmental impact."

Expensive sources

Nujoud Al-Harbiyeh believes that these challenges in the agricultural sector are worsening, as high temperatures and dry winds lead to increased rates of evaporation and transpiration of plants, which raises the water needs of crops, increases pressure on water resources, and enhances reliance on expensive and unsustainable sources.

The impact of these challenges is not limited to the availability of water, but extends to food, health and environmental security, which makes water security an essential focus within the sustainable development goals adopted by the nations. Accordingly, the issue of water has turned into an issue of security and sustainability that requires integrated solutions and an approach linking water, energy, and food to ensure the sustainability of resources in the face of accelerating climate change.

Culture of rationalization of consumption

Al-Harbi stressed that the culture of rationalization of water consumption can be enhanced by spreading awareness of its importance and scarcity and adopting conscious daily behaviors among individuals and families such as closing taps when not in use, repairing leaks, reducing water consumption in bathing, irrigation, and using Water-saving tools with an effective role for institutions in implementing efficient policies and technologies, and supporting this with legislation and incentives that enhance commitment.

The impact of this trend increases when linked to religious values, as Islam calls for preserving blessings and not being extravagant. The Almighty said: {And do not be extravagant} and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Do not be extravagant with water, even if you are on a running river, so that water conservation becomes an act of worship and a sustainable civilized behavior.

Technology Revolution Modern

The researcher reviewed the role of modern technologies and innovations in the fields of water desalination and recycling to ensure water security based on developments in membrane separation, photocatalysis, and advanced materials engineering.

In desalination, reverse osmosis (RO) techniques and advanced membranes contribute to raising separation efficiency and reducing energy consumption, while photocatalysis techniques are used using nanomaterials to treat organic pollutants by relying on solar energy.

Advanced porous materials are highlighted. “MOFs” developed by Nobel Prize-winning Saudi scientist Prof. Omar Yaghi can extract water from the air even in dry environments, with the ability to produce quantities of up to about 1,000 liters per day without the need for electricity.

Smart Agriculture Technologies

Njoud Al-Harbi says that these innovations are directed towards maximizing the use of salt refrigeration “Brine” and extracting minerals from it, in addition to smart sustainable agriculture technologies, as the company “Terraxy” developed it. Innovative materials such as CarboSoil, which enhances the water capacity of the soil and increases its retention of water and nutrients, and SandX, which is a covering layer that reduces evaporation loss by up to 80% using sand grains coated with a biodegradable layer.

She adds that these solutions contribute to improving soil moisture and raising the efficiency of water use in arid environments, and the rate of wastewater reuse is still low globally, about 11%, which reinforces the need for advanced solutions.

In this context Nanobubbles technology stands out as one of the most promising technologies, as it contributes, thanks to its physical properties, to enhancing the transfer of gases within water, improving the removal of micro-pollutants, and increasing dissolved oxygen, which significantly increases the efficiency of treatment processes.

Water and Energy Integration

She explains that within the framework of water and energy integration, green hydrogen emerges as a strategic solution to remove carbon in the desalination sector as the Kingdom moves to adopt it as an alternative to traditional energy.

She confirms that expectations indicate that the demand for hydrogen may reach About 21% of global energy consumption by 2050, with a large share for green hydrogen.

It indicates that research at the College of Marine Sciences at King Abdulaziz University contributes to the development of these technologies, especially in the areas of water treatment, advanced membranes for desalination, and green hydrogen technologies, which supports innovative and sustainable solutions to enhance water security.

Shared responsibility

Al-Harbi concluded by pointing out that water pollution and mismanagement of its sources directly reflects on public health through the spread of Water-borne diseases are a result of the presence of chemical pollutants and microbes. It also leads to the accumulation of toxins in the food chain and at the environmental level, causing the deterioration of aquatic ecosystems, a decrease in biodiversity, and an environmental imbalance, which threatens the sustainability of natural resources.

She said that preserving water is a responsibility that stems from an awareness of the role of man in building and preserving the earth and is based on science and knowledge. This requires keeping up with modern technologies locally and globally, including following up on the reports of the Research, Development and Innovation Development Authority (RDIA), in addition to the reports of the ministries and concerned authorities to understand future trends and challenges. And national goals.

Question and experience also form the basis of innovation, which are skills that begin from childhood and continue through the various educational stages up to university education and the research field. Hackathons, conferences, and partnerships between universities, schools, and various entities contribute to expanding knowledge and transforming it into applied solutions that serve society and at the community level.

The culture of preserving resources begins at home by developing awareness from childhood and linking it to the values of gratitude for blessings, and then it is reflected in daily behaviors and in education methods that are based on understanding. Application rather than memorization, which enhances awareness and ensures the sustainability of resources. On this occasion, the role of the family, especially the mother, which the world celebrates today, March 21, is evident in instilling these values, enhancing children’s awareness, and directing them towards areas that the nation needs, which contributes to building a conscious and responsible generation.

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