New climate-resistant initiatives underway in Qatar to conserve water in the desert

euronews (in English)

New climate-resistant initiatives underway in Qatar to conserve water in the desert  With Qatar’s arid and dry climate in mind, two Qatar-based eco-friendly tech companies are using innovative climate-resistant solutions to capture moisture from the sky to produce water – one quenches the thirst of humans and the other produces water for crops.  In partnership with Media City  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/06/25/new-climate-resistant-initiatives-underway-in-qatar-to-conserve-water-in-the-desert  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

Transcript

00:00You throw all the garbage of the city, all the garbage of the factories, all the garbage of the household, throw it into the water.

00:08And you are asking for clean water. That's not sustainable. You have to change your lifestyle.

00:15I hope that we're building the foundation for the agri-tech industry to transform food industry and the whole world.

00:23Hello, welcome to Cut There 365 with me, Adil Halim.

00:30On this episode, we continue to explore sustainability initiatives happening across the country

00:35and understand how new solutions in place help conserve the Earth's most valuable resource, water.

00:43I also sit down with Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus to find out how he thinks we can do a better job of protecting the planet.

00:50But first, Yunus has visited two companies in Doha that have turned to the sky to power their pioneering food and water systems on the ground.

01:01Water is the essence of life, but in the GCC, with its harsh climate and limited freshwater sources,

01:08technology is crucial for producing sufficient and sustainable drinking water.

01:13Eco-friendly technology company Skydrops offers an innovative solution,

01:17a water generation plant that captures moisture from the sky to produce drinking water that, quite literally, has come out of thin air.

01:25In the GCC, you never run out of humidity.

01:28So I think it's a really untapped resource.

01:30When we say that our water is ultra-pure, this is not a marketing gimmick.

01:34This is a scientific term because when you capture water from the air,

01:38you're not capturing a lot of the toxins and a lot of the metals that you typically get from groundwater.

01:43And also, throughout the water plant, we've made it very, very important for us to really cut out micro-plastics

01:49and then distribute it, also in a sustainable manner, with reusable glass and aluminum bottles.

01:55People may have concern about the quality of air from which the water is extracted.

01:59However, we have air filters to filter out the intake air, and then carbon and spun filters,

02:05and also UV light, to purify the extracted water.

02:09So that's why the water is thoroughly purified and safe for consumption.

02:13Much of the region's drinking water currently comes from so-called desalination,

02:18the process of removing salt and minerals from the sea.

02:21But the costs of desalination are high for government's pockets and the planet.

02:25The toxins that's released in the air, this is something very difficult to get around

02:29because it is a very heavy manufacturing process of water,

02:34and also because of the brine that it releases into the marine ecosystem

02:37and the damage that it can have on marine life.

02:39So I think with atmospheric water generation,

02:42because we're operating on such a small carbon footprint,

02:45it's a much more sustainable option.

02:48But Qatar is increasingly recognizing the potential of harnessing humidity

02:52and turning scarcity into sustainability.

02:55Another company in Qatar, agri-tech startup VeeFarms,

02:59also extracts moisture from the sky,

03:01but not to quench the thirst of humans, but of crops.

03:05VeeFarms has developed a climate-resilient technology

03:07that allows farmers to grow produce in remote and arid locations,

03:12but without the need for an external water or electricity supply.

03:16Of course, the main problems here are the heat, the humidity,

03:21and not being able to grow it conventionally.

03:26So what we did, we created the controlled climate

03:30where we use the waters that we're harvesting from the air

03:33and where we're utilizing solar energy.

03:36We're not using any pesticides.

03:38And what makes our farm more sustainable than others,

03:42particularly in Qatar and in this region,

03:45is that we can provide all-year-round production for certain crops

03:49which you cannot achieve outdoors.

03:52VeeFarms' technology is in its infancy.

03:54They are still testing the waters, if you will, of sustainable farming.

03:58But its founder says its eco-friendly systems

04:00are a step towards achieving global food and water security drop by drop.

04:05Our main mission is to feed the growing population of the world

04:10with environmentally friendly technologies.

04:13I hope that we're building the foundation for the agritech industry

04:17to transform food industry and the whole world.

04:21As chief advisor of Bangladesh's interim government,

04:27His Excellency Professor Dr. Mohamed Yunus leads a country

04:30dealing with corruption, a struggling economy,

04:33and coping with the effects of climate change.

04:36The latter is one of the topics he's come to discuss

04:38at this year's Earthna Summit,

04:39a forum with the goal of advancing sustainability

04:42in hot and arid environments.

04:44I sat down with the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner

04:47on the sidelines of the summit.

04:49Welcome to Doha.

04:52You're here at the Earthna Summit.

04:53You said countries responsible for warming up the planet

04:56should help pay to deal with climate change.

04:59What effect does global warming have

05:01on vulnerable populations in the global south?

05:04It's all created by our habits,

05:06our way of dealing with each other,

05:08our businesses, our policies, and so on,

05:11all made of the civilization.

05:13Wherever you go, buy, buy, buy.

05:17Discount, bargain,

05:19you produce things which people will use once and throw away.

05:24So it's a waste-creating system.

05:26As long as our lifestyle is not adjusted

05:29to the safety and security of the planet,

05:32we'll destroy it.

05:34This civilization doesn't believe in safety,

05:38security of the planet.

05:40They want to enjoy themselves.

05:41So we have to be responsible,

05:44and we have to create a civilization of responsibility

05:47that how to protect the planet

05:50and then live here in a decent, responsible way.

05:54So we need to create that.

05:56What are the challenges in providing clean water

05:58in Bangladesh and the global south?

06:00Everywhere.

06:01Same problem.

06:02You pollute and you look for clean water.

06:04You throw all the plastic into your river,

06:07and you're looking for clean water.

06:10You throw all the garbage in your river,

06:13in your water system,

06:14you look for clean water.

06:15So you put all the kinds of chemicals

06:17to clean it and so on,

06:18and you pollute water more

06:19because you put chemicals into it.

06:22That's not sustainability.

06:23Everything has to give, right?

06:23Absolutely.

06:24You have to change your lifestyle.

06:26With many Bangladeshis worried

06:28about where the next meal is coming from,

06:30how do you convince the public

06:31that climate change and sustainability

06:33are important issues to address?

06:36With the poor people,

06:37the people who are worrying about the next meal,

06:40they don't care about environment and so on.

06:44Because you don't care about the environment either.

06:46So how can you tell other people to care about it

06:49when you yourself don't believe in it?

06:51You have created a system

06:52where you are always encouraging to buy.

06:56It's either it's Christmas or it's eat, buy, buy, buy.

07:00All you are creating waste.

07:02You buy and throw it away.

07:04So you are encouraging that

07:06and then asking somebody else to do that.

07:09Opposite, you can't do that.

07:11You have to build a system

07:12where you follow the rules for everybody.

07:15We all have to make sure our lifestyle

07:18is not waste-creating lifestyle.

07:21It's a lifestyle which we reuse,

07:23we protect, we preserve,

07:25non-throw away.

07:26If you look at the vegetable industry

07:29around the world,

07:32particularly in Europe,

07:33almost 40% of the vegetable is thrown away.

07:36Fresh vegetable.

07:37Why?

07:38Because they don't fulfill the standard shape.

07:40Waste-creating, throwing good food away,

07:43good things, good shirt away

07:44because it's out of fashion.

07:46You created something called fashion.

07:48Fashion industry.

07:50What?

07:51Meaning that today what we are wearing,

07:53tomorrow you must not wear that.

07:54Fashion industry.

07:56They brainwashed you.

07:57It's a good shirt,

07:58good dress,

07:58good thing.

07:59Yesterday it was a hot item.

08:01Today it's a bad item.

08:03That's the wish.

08:04Since 2010,

08:09Qatar Science and Technology Park

08:10has been home to the ConocoPhillips

08:12Global Water Sustainability Center.

08:15In recent years,

08:16the company has invested

08:17in developing innovative solutions

08:18for treating produced water

08:20from the oil and gas industry.

08:22The idea is to show Qatar

08:23has added its voice

08:24to the global water sustainability conversation.

08:27This state-of-the-art facility

08:32serves one main purpose,

08:33to analyze water

08:34and provide support

08:36not only in Qatar

08:37but to many countries.

08:39The Global Water Sustainability Center

08:40brings together

08:41the experience and expertise

08:43of engineers

08:44and analytical scientists

08:45which makes it unique.

08:47Michelle Almas

08:48is one of three

08:49Qatari scientists on the team.

08:51A part of our mission

08:52involved really supporting

08:54the country's capacity building

08:55and focusing

08:56on the cultivation

08:57of local talents

08:58of engineers and scientists.

09:01And as a Qatari engineer,

09:02since I joined the center,

09:03there has been a journey

09:05of development opportunities

09:06to enhance my technical skills

09:09and knowledge

09:10as well as broaden

09:11my creativity and innovation.

09:13The center is the research arm

09:14of oil and gas company

09:15ConocoPhillips.

09:17They conduct research

09:18in water

09:18and wastewater treatment technology

09:20including seawater desalination.

09:23Dr. Samar Adam

09:24is for every barrel of oil,

09:26three to four barrels

09:27of water are also produced.

09:29In the past,

09:30we used to really dispose it.

09:33We inject it back

09:34to the reservoir

09:35to maintain pressure

09:36and enhance oil recovery.

09:38However,

09:38with the increased pressure

09:40on the regulations

09:41as well as

09:42environmental sustainability guidelines

09:44and also advancement

09:46of the water technologies,

09:48opportunities are being

09:49looked upon right now

09:50to how to treat this water

09:51and recycle it

09:52for beneficial reuse.

09:54That's a large part

09:55of why his team

09:56created the Global Water

09:57Sustainability Center

09:5915 years ago

10:00to come up with new ways

10:02to manage this byproduct.

10:03Before we established

10:04the center,

10:05many of the water samples

10:06used to be shipped overseas

10:07for analysis

10:09and we have this

10:10state-of-the-art laboratory

10:11right now

10:12and unique expertise

10:14and we are able

10:15to send the samples

10:16directly to our lab here

10:17which facilitate the shipping

10:20as well as the quickness

10:22and the fastness

10:23of coming up with a solution.

10:25Water-related research

10:26is one thing

10:27but getting the word out

10:28to the public

10:29is another.

10:30Here at the Water Visitor Center,

10:32the GWSC hopes

10:34these interactive,

10:35hands-on exhibits

10:36promoting water conservation

10:37awareness

10:38will engage people

10:40at a grassroots level,

10:41especially school children.

10:43By teaching children

10:44about water conservation,

10:46the hope is it will show

10:47how they can make a difference

10:48in their own homes.

10:50Iman Al-Shamari

10:51leads the outreach program

10:53for the Water Visitor Center.

10:55Qatar is a water-scarious country

10:56and the focus has been

10:58to get the water supplies

11:00from the salty sea

11:02through desalination.

11:04Desalination is highly

11:05energy-intensive

11:06and costly treatment technology

11:09so that means

11:10every drop counts.

11:11And in the oil and gas sector,

11:13there is waste water

11:15is generated.

11:16So at the GWSC,

11:18we are focusing on

11:19treating this water

11:20to be recycled

11:21and to reuse

11:24in the plants.

11:25And that way,

11:26we minimize the demand

11:28on the expensive

11:29desalinated water

11:30in the industry.

11:31From sustainability experts

11:36weighing in on efforts

11:37to conserve water

11:38to a Nobel Peace Prize winner

11:40discussing ways we pollute

11:41our most valuable resource,

11:43we hope you enjoyed

11:44learning about some initiatives

11:45underway to protect our planet.

11:47But that's all the time

11:48we have for now.

11:49For more,

11:49check out Euronews.com

11:51and connect with us

11:51through our hashtag.

11:52Thanks for watching

11:53and we'll see you next time

11:54on Cutter 365.

11:56cutter 365.

11:57Cutter 365.

12:01Now we'll see you next time

12:01on The World.

12:02Türkiye Ap力

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