Revolutionary Star Wars-inspired tech could combat drought

Under pressure from a severe drought in 2016 that forced every resident of the Indian city of Kozhikode to live on two buckets of water a day, then-student Swapnil Shrivastav recalled a science project he had created four years earlier about solutions for the future of water in urban centers.

The boy who won the competition at the time was inspired by the Star Wars movie and recreated the “moisture vaporizers” on the desert planet Tatooine, home of Luke Skywalker’s family. Devices absorb very low humidity in the air and convert it into drinking water in moisture farms.

If this “worked” in the desert landscape of George Lucas’ world, why not try it in a humid, tropical climate like Kozhikode? With this idea in mind, Shrivastav, who is already trained in architecture and industrial design, founded Uravu Labs, a startup that offers sustainable solutions for generating drinking water from moisture in the air, along with his friends Govinda Balaji and Venkatesh Raja.

How to produce water using the Star Wars method?

Uravu works with substances called desiccants, which are substances that have a high “affinity” for water molecules, absorbing them from the atmosphere. This material is used in atmospheric water generators that are powered using sunlight or renewable electricity. When heated to 65°C the desiccant releases moisture, which can then condense into drinking water.

The entire cycle takes about 12 hours, with each unit producing about 2,000 litres of drinking water, Shrivastav told BBC Mundo. The Bangalore company’s initial aim was to provide drinking water to needy communities, but without CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and NGO support, the project proved financially unsustainable.

When they could not find the support they expected in India, they started selling their water directly to 40 customers in the hotel industry. For this purpose, they established a partnership that expanded the range of services offered to end consumers by integrating with commercial applications and started to provide additional income to both parties.

Serious water problem on the planet

Water scarcity, one of the most serious planetary problems of our time, affects many countries, especially in the southern hemisphere, where, paradoxically, populations are facing extreme droughts and severe floods linked to climate change.

According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 4 billion people, equivalent to 50 percent of the world’s population, experience water shortages at least onceThe UN agency estimates that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will live in countries or regions where they face an “absolute” shortage of this precious liquid.

But the challenge for billions of people could mean a significant emerging market for those with the technology to provide a source of fresh water without traditional water infrastructure. The atmospheric water production market was valued at $3.4 billion in 2022This value is expected to reach $13.5 billion by 2032, according to consultancy Global Market Insights.

Another solution to water scarcity

Nairobian Beth Koigi, who is “bathing” in the same water (lack of water) as Shrivastav, uses another technology to produce water from air. She is the co-founder and CEO of Majik Water and runs the social enterprise Majik Water. With 40 atmospheric water production units, The company uses techniques based on refrigeration and condensation to capture moisture from the air.

The adventure began in 2017 when Koigi, who describes himself as a water security advocate, refused to use polluted water from a river near Nairobi for cooking, drinking and washing. Majik Water’s technology is being installed in areas where access to water is difficult. thus creating a sustainable and independent solution to traditional water resourcesAccording to the company’s website.

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