Raising awareness of the vital importance of fresh water as a lifeline is crucial to addressing water scarcity crisis . Historically, the world has increasingly recognized the severity of this crisis since the late 20th century with urbanization and population growth, prompting the United Nations to establish World Water Day in 1993 to highlight the importance of sustainable water resource management. Today, this crisis deprives approximately 2.1 billion people of access to safe drinking water, making it imperative to find innovative technological solutions to ensure a secure and sustainable future for generations to come.
Climate change and the worsening water scarcity crisis
On the occasion of World Water Day, Najoud Al-Harbi, a researcher at the Faculty of Marine Sciences at King Abdulaziz University, explained that the sustainability of water resources faces a fundamental challenge represented by the disruption of the water cycle as a result of accelerating climate changes.
She pointed out that rising temperatures lead to increased evaporation and disrupted precipitation patterns, resulting in heavy rainfall in short periods and longer periods of drought, in addition to the effect of melting ice and rising sea levels in reducing freshwater areas.
Expected impacts locally, regionally, and internationally
Internationally, the situation is worsening with the increasing risks of floods and droughts and the intensification of extreme weather events, according to reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Regionally and locally, the challenges are particularly evident in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia due to limited renewable water resources and the rapid depletion of groundwater. This situation has led to a heavy reliance on desalination, which now accounts for approximately 60% of the Kingdom's domestic water supply, with associated high energy and transportation costs and a significant environmental impact. The effects of these challenges extend beyond water availability, directly impacting food, health, and environmental security, making water security a fundamental pillar for national stability and economic growth.
Challenges facing the agricultural sector and its costly resources
The researcher believes that these challenges are clearly evident in the agricultural sector, where high temperatures and dry winds lead to increased evaporation and transpiration rates in plants, which raises the water needs of crops, increases pressure on water resources, and reinforces reliance on costly and unsustainable sources to meet the growing food demand.
The revolution of modern technologies and extracting water from the air
To address these complex challenges, the researcher explored the role of modern technologies and innovations in water desalination and recycling. In desalination, reverse osmosis (RO) technologies and advanced membranes contribute to increased separation efficiency and reduced energy consumption. Photocatalytic technologies using nanomaterials are also employed to treat organic pollutants using solar energy.
Here, groundbreaking innovations stand out, such as advanced porous materials (MOFs) developed by Nobel Prize-winning Saudi scientist Professor Omar Yaghi. This remarkable technology successfully extracts water from the air, even in extremely arid environments, with the potential to produce up to 1,000 liters per day without consuming electricity, representing a lifeline for remote areas.
Smart farming technologies and energy integration
Innovations are also focused on maximizing the utilization of brine and extracting minerals from it. In the field of sustainable smart agriculture, specialized companies have developed innovative materials such as CarboSoil, which enhances soil water capacity, and SandX, a coating that reduces evaporation losses by up to 80%. Nanobubble technology is also emerging to enhance gas transport within water and improve pollutant removal.
Within the framework of water and energy integration, green hydrogen stands out as a strategic solution for decarbonizing the desalination sector, with the Kingdom moving towards adopting it as an alternative to traditional energy, as projections indicate that demand for it may reach 21% of global energy consumption by 2050.
Shared responsibility and a culture of rational consumption
Al-Harbi emphasized that a culture of water conservation can be strengthened by raising awareness of its importance and scarcity, and by adopting conscious daily habits. This approach is further enhanced when linked to religious values, as Islam clearly calls for preserving blessings and avoiding waste, thus making water conservation an act of worship and a sustainable, civilized practice.
She concluded by noting that water pollution and mismanagement of water resources directly impact public health through the spread of diseases and cause the degradation of ecosystems. Therefore, water conservation is a responsibility stemming from an understanding of humanity's role in sustaining the Earth, and it begins at home by cultivating awareness from a young age, thus contributing to building a conscious and responsible generation capable of protecting their nation's resources and facing the challenges of the future.
