The site of a seawater desalination plant that could provide up to one-third of the water consumed by Beijing’s households lies about 200 kilometers southeast of the parched Chinese capital. In 2014, China’s state news media reported that the facility, to be located on the shores of Bohai Bay, would be completed by 2019, contributing to the three million tons of fresh water per day of desalination capacity that China wants to have built by 2020.
Since then, the planning of this facility has been touch and go: it’s been approved by the provincial development agency and listed as one of the major projects in China’s initiative to build a supercity around Beijing, but it’s still far from certain when the construction will begin.
Israel is known for pioneering and perfecting water technologies – from drip irrigation to water recycling and desalination. But using plants to cleanse wastewater? Well, that might top it all.
Israeli company Ayala Water & Ecology provides a solution to water purification which lies within nature itself. Its flagship product, called Natural Biological System (NBS), provides efficient and sustainable purification of water, in what CEO Eli Cohen calls “active landscaping.”
Consumer electronics giant Belkin has announced its latest move to create the smart home of the future: a $40 million joint venture to bring “advanced water sensing and conservation technology” to market.
The new joint venture, which goes by the name of Phyn and will be based out of Los Angeles, has been set up in conjunction with Uponor, a Finnish supplier of plumbing for residential and commercial properties.
Water scarcity presents enormous risks to businesses—to their production capacity, their consumer base and their reputation. The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report has consistently ranked access to water as one of the most critical issues facing the planet in terms of risks most likely to have a dramatic impact on the world in the next decade.
Fortunately, some progressive business leaders are already working to mitigate these risks. And some companies—specifically technology companies—will find new opportunities for growth by helping us all adapt to a water-stressed world.
Oakland, Calif.-based Edyn started selling a new, smart gardening device this week: an Internet-connected water valve that lets users irrigate their gardens or lawns automatically.
The Edyn Water Valve uses data from the company’s Edyn Garden Sensor, a soil sensor, along with local weather systems, to adjust the moisture levels in the soil. If a user wants, they can adjust their irrigation systems via the Edyn smartphone app.
At the giant Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park under construction near Dubai, a desalination facility goes into operation this month. Run by an array of solar panels and batteries, the system will produce about 13,200 gallons of drinking water a day for use on site. That’s insignificant compared with desalination plants elsewhere, but it’s a start toward answering a pressing question: can countries stop burning fossil fuels to supply fresh water?
Las instalaciones estarán situadas en la zona de Al Hamra Jazeerah, en el emirato de Ras Al Khaimah.
El Grupo Cobra, cabecera del área industrial de ACS, y Utico Middle East constituyeron en agosto la sociedad Al Hamra Water Company, destinada a ser la mayor compañía desaladora del mundo de financiación privada. La empresa presidida por Florentino Pérez, a través del Grupo Cobra, tendrá una participación del 40%.
Con un gasto de 719 millones de dírhams (unos 195,7 millones de dólares -179 millones de euros-), será una de las mayores inversiones internacionales en Emiratos Árabes Unidos (EAU) de los últimos tiempos.
s Australia. Mapal will supply the equipment and operate the water purification equipment it installs.
In a Mapal system, bubbles – water infused with air – are used to clean water as part of aeration systems, removing pollutants and separating sludge from water. The treatment removes nearly all the solid waste and pollutants, allowing water providers to purify and recycle water quickly and efficiently.
Among water professionals, bubbles are considered one of the more effective ways of treating sewage and water suffering from industrial pollution. But bubble purification systems haven’t been popular because they are generally limited to use in smaller, manmade pools and lagoons.
España ha perdido una media del 20% de su agua dulce en los últimos 20 años y, de no revertir los efectos del cambio climático, en 2025 este porcentaje habrá subido a un 25%, es decir, un cuarto de la cantidad disponible en 1990. Además, las inundaciones y las sequías aumentarán en los próximos años por la mismas razones.
We’ve seen how autonomous robots — such as these smart ecological management devices — can help protect vulnerable environments. However, the use of autonomous robotics has so far been limited by their need for high energy and inconvenient refueling. Now, Bristol Robotics Laboratory has designed Row-bot, which uses bacteria to self-power as it cleans polluted water.
