Dubai’s Sustainability Pavilion for Expo 2021 revealed in real
Dubai will host the World Expo 2020 in 2021. We show off first look of the Sustainability Pavilion.
desalination
A new energy future fueled by Emirati and Israeli peace
Experts talk about the opportunities in energy, water, and a great big amount of peace for the world through the UAE-Israel alliance, brokered by the US.
Sorry Greta, World to produce 120% more fossil fuels by 2030 – drastically at odds with warming limit
It’s kind of like the Shaggy song, even when he’s caught red handed: it wasn’t me. Greenhouse gas production from coal and oil are on the increase. No one is taking responsibility. We are in deep, deep trouble, new UN “Gap” report unveils today. So it’s time to wake up Middle East! The Production Gap […]
Saudi Arabia’s water depends on Japan desalination tech
Toray Industries of Japan tells Green prophet that its new technology called ROMEMBRA – a reverse osmosis (RO) tech will be working for Saudi Arabia to create even more desalinated water. Saudi Arabia is looking for desalination technology to help provide drinking water for its growing population. Remember we wrote about this plan to update […]
Running on empty – Israel’s deteriorating water crisis
Having adequate fresh water supplies in most of the Middle East has always been a serious issue. This includes ideas like dragging an iceberg from Antarctica to the Arab Gulf for drinking water. More practical fresh water procurement projects involve the use of massive desalination plants, such as those in Saudi Arabia Another Mid East country, Israel, […]
UAE to build a man-made mountain to increase rainfall
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) upped the wackiness factor of its portfolio of national mega-projects, announcing plans to build an artificial alp so the country can control its weather. Scientists will investigate if a man-made mountain will increase precipitation in cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi in this nation where rain falls just five days […]
Cool innovation shocks salt from sea water
Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink! Desalinating sea water is a costly and energy consuming way of providing fresh water in many parts of world. Though methods such as Graphene-Nanotechnology makes desalination more efficient, the end result is still problematic due to clogging of separation filters. Returning heavily saline brine residue back to the […]
Alaskans to Emiratis: we’ll all pay for UAE snow
Scandinavian saunas are so yesterday. UAE trendsetters can now literally chillax in indoor “snow rooms” that create real snow using a snow-making system like that used for the interior ski slopes in Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates. It’s costly to be cool, prices start at $109,000. But our planet pays the real bill.
Israel and Jordan sign deal to save the Dead Sea
Israel and Jordan have signed a historic deal to press ahead with a plan to save the Dead Sea. The ‘Red-Dead’ project will build a plant near the Jordanian tourist resort of Aqaba that will desalinate water to be shared by Israelis and Palestinians. The brine left over from the desalination process will be channeled […]
Desolenator offers water independence: just add sun!
Assuming you stayed relatively sane on New Year’s Eve, you probably going to woke up the next day feeling optimistic, ready to start the new year with a clean slate. Maybe resolve to lace up the sneakers, or lay off the carbs. Or take it bigger and tackle a problem beyond yourself by investing in […]
Graphene nanotechnology makes desalination 100 times more efficient
Engineers at Lockheed-Martin recently developed and patented a molecular filtration membrane called Perforene which can desalinate seawater using only 1/100th the energy of the best existing desalination systems. Perforene is made from graphene, the exciting new nanomaterial which comes in the form of one-atom thick sheets of carbon atoms. Like an overzealous nanotechnology, graphene seems […]
Water as a tool for peace for Israel, Palestine and Jordan
A fascinating report published by Mumbai-based think tank Strategic Foresight Group (SFG), asserts that trans-boundary water cooperation directly correlates with regional stability and peace. The inverse also holds true: failure to collaborate when managing shared water resources raises the risk of war.
100 million trees dry, rather than green, the UAE’s western desert
In an attempt to ‘greenify’ the UAE’s Western Region desert, (some claim in the hope of creating a milder micro-climate in the UAE) more than 100 million trees have been planted, often as buffer zones like the one depicted, and irrigated, mostly, with precious groundwater.
World’s longest undersea water pipeline uniting Turkey to Cyprus
Turkey has started constructing what will be the world’s longest undersea water pipeline. The 107 kilometer pipe will draw water from the Dragon River and unite the Turkish mainland with northern Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. Proponents are hoping it will unify the island, divided for the past 39 years.
Jordan, the PA and Israel trade water from the Red and Sea of Galilee
Some good news out of the Middle East region for a change: It was announced at the Israel Business Forum that Israel has signed an historic water-sharing agreement with Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. But not all parties are happy with political manoeuvrings around the announcement.
MIT Fog Harvesting Material Yields 5x More H20
Gulf countries like Abu Dhabi may lack freshwater resources, but they also have a lot of humidity. MIT’s new super efficient fog harvesting material could help countries with climates like this capture that moisture for drinking water.
Israel and Jordan Strike Brilliant Water Trade Deal
When the $10 billion Red-Dead Canal plan got the axe earlier in August, we discussed plan B for restoring some sense of water security to northern Jordan: a smaller desalination plant in Wadi Araba to trade water with Israel and Palestine.
To the Dead Sea from the Red Sea Looks To Be Dead
Jordan’s Minister of Water and Irrigation and Agriculture, Hazim Al Naser, disclosed that the controversial Red-Dead Water Conveyor project may now be shelved in favor of a series of smaller schemes to provide the kingdom with drinking water. His statements mark the first time that a ranking official questioned the project’s viability. Al Naser spoke […]
Tiny “Water Chip” Desalinates Water With the Power of a Store-Bought Battery
Water scarcity is probably the most pressing environmental concern in the Middle East region and current desalination technologies are too costly and energy-intensive to rely on as a sustainable solution. But a new nano “water chip” that uses the power of a store-bought battery holds promise.
If Gaza Goes Dry, Where Will All the People Go?
The United Nations has warned that the Gaza Strip, the small slice of land bordering Egypt and Israel that has been the scene of so much political tension, could be “uninhabitable” as soon as 2016 if serious action isn’t taken to address a chronic water shortage, The Independent reports. If that happens, where will its […]
Gulf Inventor Creates “Alma” – a 20 Square Mile Saltwater and Dew Collector
Abdullah al-Shehi from the United Arab Emirates has shown his worth in environmental technology by patenting his sea-borne water collector that he hopes will help deliver clean water to desert regions across the Middle East and the world.
Saudi Agriculture To Be Hit Hard by Climate Change
Saudi Arabia and climate change do not mix well as this photo indicates As Earth Day 2013 approaches on April 22, issues of water options in arid countries like Saudi Arabia will be high on the agenda. Countries in the Middle East that face increasing water shortages, especially those situated on the Arabian Peninsula, have to […]
Solar Waterpods Could Help Sahara Nomads Purify Salty Water
A former sailor, Alain Thibault knows what it means to pine after fresh water, so he designed a portable desalination device that uses the sun’s power to make fresh drinking water. What’s more, he and the rest of his team have introduced the technology to Sahara nomads, who frequently struggle to find water that isn’t […]
This Desalination Infographic is Like Taking Climate Change Advice from Shell
If Shell were to design a clever infographic with a bunch of facts, it would probably highlight the amount of fossil fuels the United States imports from “dangerous” foreign countries, how expensive those imports are, and how the company could save the world if only they had unrestricted access to the Arctic’s fossil fuel reserves […]
Byproduct of Natural Gas Made Potable by US and Saudi Scientists
Water produced as a byproduct of natural gas extraction is one of the oil and gas industry’s biggest waste streams, according to the Environment News Service (ENS), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers are collaborating with scientists from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals to do something about it. A process called Humidification […]