Water scarcity is among the top five global risksaffecting peoples wellbeing.
In water-scarce areas, the situation is grim.
In these countries, water is acritical challenge to sustainable developmentand a potential cause of social unrest and conflict.
Water-scarce countries need a fundamental change in planning and management.
We are looking at how to do this, through the creative exploitation ofunconventional water resources.
From Earths seabed to its upper atmosphere, we have a variety of water resources that can be tapped.
But making the most of these requires a diverse range of technological interventions and innovations.
Fog can be collected using a vertical mesh that intercepts the droplet stream.
This water then runs down into a water collection, storage , and distribution system.
But this could work in dry mountainous and coastal regions.
This technology involves dispersing small particles into clouds or in their vicinity.
These particles act as a starting point for raindrops or ice crystals, promoting their formation.
In turn, this makes it more likely to rain or snow.
There are two major types of micro-catchment rainwater harvesting systems.
One iswater harvesting via rooftop systemswhere runoff is collected and stored in tanks or similar devices.
This water is used domestically or for livestock watering.
Desalinating seawater
The processof desalination removes salt from seawater or brackish groundwater to make them drinkable.
Seawater desalination has been growing faster because of advances in membrane technology and material science.
These advances are projected to cause asignificant decrease in production costs by 2030.
Moving an iceberg across the ocean is technically possible, based ona theoretical four-part process.
