Poor Water Management Research Articles

Design and Development of Microcontroller Based Agroponic Agriculture System

Currently, the traditional agriculture is being transformed into smart agriculture using the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. An agriculture service platform is being developed to help with environmental monitoring and to improve agricultural management. Various climate condition parameters are vital to be monitored for agriculture for ensuring optimal growth conditions. The crop production regulation, and climate change has negative impact on agriculture and food production due to excess rainfall, temperature changes, and other associated environmental variations. Different type of plants has its own need of fertilization and water where poor management of water and fertilization will lead to unhealthy crops and shorten their lifespan. The goal of this study is to design and develop a plant management system based on sensors and microcontroller. The input of the system includes pH, temperature, and soil moisture alongside real-time clock module. The system uses LoRa for data transmission that will allow the data to be transmitted up to 1 km distance. The system will optimize the plant watering leading to more efficient water usage. Moreover, this system will have a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that will allow user to provide plant watering schedule for the user. This system has been successfully tested based on several experiments. This system can be used for both indoor and outdoor plants

A novel causal structure-based framework for comparing a basin-wide water–energy–food–ecology nexus applied to the data-limited Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins

Abstract. The previous comparative studies on watersheds were mostly based on the comparison of dispersive characteristics, which lacked systemicity and causality. We proposed a causal structure-based framework for basin comparison based on the Bayesian network (BN) and focus on the basin-scale water–energy–food–ecology (WEFE) nexus. We applied it to the Syr Darya River basin (SDB) and the Amu Darya River basin (ADB), of which poor water management caused the Aral Sea disaster. The causality of the nexus was effectively compared and universality of this framework was discussed. In terms of changes in the nexus, the sensitive factor for the water supplied to the Aral Sea changed from the agricultural development during the Soviet Union period to the disputes in the WEFE nexus after the disintegration. The water–energy contradiction of the SDB is more severe than that of the ADB, partly due to the higher upstream reservoir interception capacity. It further made management of the winter surplus water downstream of the SDB more controversial. Due to this, the water–food–ecology conflict between downstream countries may escalate and turn into a long-term chronic problem. Reducing water inflow to depressions and improving the planting structure prove beneficial to the Aral Sea ecology, and this effect of the SDB is more significant. The construction of reservoirs on the Panj River of the upstream ADB should be cautious to avoid an intense water–energy conflict such as the SDB's. It is also necessary to promote the water-saving drip irrigation and to strengthen the cooperation.

Analysis of Soil Texture, Furrow Geometry, and Infiltration Rate for Improving Water Application Efficiency

Soil texture, furrow geometry, and infiltration rate are the main characteristics for improving water application efficiency. Substantial amounts of diverted irrigation water are often lost because of poor water control, inefficient irrigation conveyance systems, poor on-farm water management, or poor application practices. Field experiments were conducted on three farm plots within the command area for water availability and accessibility under the Melka Hida small-scale irrigation scheme in the West Guji Zone of Oromia Region, Ethiopia. The physical characteristics of soil, including depth, particle distribution, textural classification, bulk density, field capacity, and permanent wilting point, were studied and the results are presented. Furrow parameters including slope, width, length, and shape geometry were measured. The cumulative infiltration and infiltration rates were also recorded. The results show that irrigation application efficiency ranged from 57 to 64% with an average of 61%, indicating that about 40% of the applied water was not used by crops. The storage efficiency ranged from 79.6 to 81.6% with an average of 80%. Soil moisture measurements showed that crops were water stressed during the experimental period. Application efficiency decreased with increasingly steep slopes and cutoff times, greater applied depth, and high inflow rate in the study area. Unavailability of irrigation water control structure, weakness of water users’ associations, and maintenance of furrows and steep slopes were observed as the major causes of inefficient water management in the Melka Hida irrigation scheme.

Does irrigation improve household’s food security? The case of Koga irrigation development project in northern Ethiopia

Agriculture remains the mainstay of the Ethiopian economy, as it is a key contributor to the country’s GDP and food security. However, the sector is affected by climate change induced extreme weather events. The Ethiopian government has been making interventions through the development of irrigation schemes to augment otherwise low production and productivity. Koga irrigation development project (KIDP) is one of such initiatives developed to reduce food insecurity. However, due to political unrest, poor water management practice, limited market linkages and other institutional challenges, the project has not reached its desired goals. The purpose of this study is thus to evaluate the extent to which KIDP has impacted on household food security. Data were collected from 395 farm households and two FGDs drawn using random sampling technique. Multidimensional household food security index and propensity score matching (PSM) were employed to measure food security and estimate the impact of irrigation on food security, respectively. The descriptive analysis shows that majorities of the sample households were mildly food insecure in the study area. The PSM estimated that irrigation has positive and statistically significant impact on household annual income. However, the impact of irrigation on household food security found statistically insignificant. The FGD analysis confirmed that both groups of households had closely similar food security status. Accordingly, the study concluded that increasingly generated income in irrigation agriculture might not necessarily guarantee multidimensional household food security. Therefore, the growing interest of policymakers in promoting irrigation should integrally plan mechanisms of converting income into food security.

A comparison between the European and the Brazilian models for management and diagnosis of river basins

Abstract Water management is assuming more and more importance as freshwater resources are becoming scarce, both in quality and in quantity, across many developed and developing countries. This trend can be attributed to population growth, industrialization, growing agricultural demand, poor water management practices and climate change. In attempting to deal with the intensification of water quality- and quantity-related problems in recent decades, many countries have revised their water resource management policies and legislation, introducing new institutional frameworks and management instruments. Considering regional geographic and cultural distinctions, the present article aims at comparing the models of water resource management in the European Union (EU) and in Brazil. Institutional and legal arrangements currently in place, water planning and management instruments currently in use, assessments of water body status and watershed diagnoses were analysed. Main strengths and weaknesses of each water management system are pointed out in the conclusion. Main challenges for the water sector, and highlights of the converging and diverging points concerning water resource management systems, in each region, are discussed.

Monitoring Carbon Corrosion in Anode of a PEM Fuel Cells Under Fuel Starvation Using a Hydrogen Reference Electrode and on-Line Mass Spectrometry

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) has attracted great attention in transportation and stationary applications with zero emissions and high efficiency compared to conventional combustion engines. However, various factors limit the lifespan of PEMFCs, which remain a major obstacle to large-scale commercialization. In particular, corrosion of the carbon support is one of the main causes of fatal and irreversible deterioration of PEMFCs performance.If the hydrogen fuel supply is insufficient to maintain current demand due to poor water management or fuel depletion at the anode, carbon corrosion may occur on the anode side. In this fuel starvation condition, reactions that take place in place of hydrogen oxidation, such as water electrolysis and oxidation of the carbon support, compensate for the current shortage.The exact deterioration mechanism of PEMFCs in fuel starvation is investigated by simultaneously monitoring the potential behavior from the anode and the exhaust gas using hydrogen reference electrodes and in situ online mass spectrometry. Interestingly, water electrolysis starts at a lower potential range and carbon oxidation occurs at a higher range as an alternative reaction to hydrogen oxidation. Thus, carbon corrosion, which is detrimental to cell performance, can be reduced by extending the duration of the water electrolysis reaction. In this regard, the introductions of the graphitized carbon support and water electrolysis catalyst to the anode are effective in alleviating damage due to fuel starvation by making a dominant alternative reaction to continue electrolysis of water. And this alternative reaction is Monitored with a hydrogen reference electrode and using on-site online mass spectrometry.

An Unscented Kalman Filter Based on-line Diagnostic Approach For PEM Fuel Cell Flooding

Poor water management usually leads to various degrees of flooding in the hydrogen type fuel cell, affecting both the instantaneous performance and the long-term durability of the system adversely. While a lot of fuel cell diagnostic tools exist that could be utilized for the flooding diagnostics, most of these approaches are intrusive, requiring special modification to the fuel cell that affects its integrity, or special equipment (e.g. AC spectrometer) that adds to the complexity and cost of the system, and therefore are not considered to be a viable solution for the on-board integration of the diagnostic scheme.This paper proposes a model based approach for the fuel cell flooding diagnostics problem, utilizing only the cell current and voltage, and the inlet pressures of the fuel cell as the input signals of the diagnostic scheme. A diagnostic-oriented fuel cell system dynamic model is developed to incorporate the effects of the fault, i.e. the flooding, on the system dynamics. For simplicity, only the cathode channel flooding, the cathode gas diffusion layer (GDL) flooding, and the anode channel flooding are considered while we neglect the mass transport loss through the anode GDL. The cathode channel flooding and the GDL flooding diagnostic problems are decoupled and formulated as standard joint state and parameter estimation problems, with the amounts of the liquid water treated as varying system parameters to be identified. The unscented Kalman Filter technique has been applied to solve these problems. Simulation results validate the applicability of the cascading unscented Kalman filter design for flooding diagnostics.

Cost-Effective Drainage Performance Assessment and Field Management Options for Sustainable Environmental Management Under Irrigated Agriculture of Ethiopia

Irrigation is one of the means by which agricultural production can be increased to meet the growing food demands of the fast-growing population of the country and satisfy the country's economic demand. However, poor irrigation water management, and lack of proper implementation of drainage systems, substantial numbers of Irrigation schemes especially in potentially susceptible areas are starting to suffer from these problems. The aim this study is to assess a cost effective drainage performance and field management options under hot spot area irrigated agriculture of Ethiopia. It has been observed that inadequate attention to drainage aspects of irrigation due to the absence of sound objective is challenging this untapped sub-sector and also unsustainable water management practices and limited technical and institutional capacity to expand and manage irrigation infrastructure is one of the prioritized bottlenecks. The result also revealed that salt affected surfaces have increased from 6% to 16% of the total land of Ethiopia in recent years. About 9% of the population lives in the areas affected by salinity. The semi-arid and arid lowlands and valleys in Ethiopia have major problems of salinity and alkalinity. About 44 million ha in 36% of the country’s total land is potentially susceptible to salinity problems. According to recent researches, out of the 44 million ha, 33 million ha has dominantly salinity problems, 8 million ha has combined salinity and alkalinity problems, and 3 million ha has dominantly alkalinity problems. The majority of schemes (small, medium, and large), poor drainage facilities, and water management practices, hence, give low yields (quite below the national average) with poor crop quality, and environmental damage. Such a very low yield, poor crop quality and salinity could be attributed to poor drainage system at plot or scheme’s level. It is evident that poor management of agricultural water management will play a significant role in poor drainage and salinity incidence. Therefore, there should be well organized and proper water management in the irrigated field. Keywords : Drainage, salinity, water management, schemes and crop quality. DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/71-01 Publication date: November 30 th 2020

POTENSI PEMANFAATAN MIKORIZA UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KETAHANAN PANGAN

This study aims to examine the mycorrhizal potential for food security in Indonesia. The analysis is based on literature review using secondary data as a source of information. Food productivity has an important role in the lives of many people. Meanwhile, on the one hand, we are faced with immeasurable human growth and land functions that have begun to shift to settlements over time. One way to increase food in Indonesia is to empower marginal lands. Indonesia has a marginal land area that has not been optimized due to problems with the soil, poor nutrients and poor water management. Of course, to overcome this, it is necessary to have an agricultural cultivation approach so that these lands can be utilized. One of the approaches to agricultural cultivation is the application of biological fertilizers, namely mycorrhizae. From several literature studies, it is found that mycorrhizae can increase plant production by increasing nutrient uptake in marginal lands.

Understanding water management in platinum group metal-free electrodes using neutron imaging

Platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) catalysts are a low-cost alternative to expensive PGM catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells. However, due to the low volumetric activity of PGM-free catalysts, the catalyst layer thickness of the PGM-free catalyst electrode is an order of magnitude higher than PGM based electrodes. The thick PGM-free electrodes suffer from increased transport resistance and poor water management, which ultimately limits the fuel cell performance. This manuscript presents the study of water management in the PGM-free electrodes to understand the transport limitations and improve fuel cell performance. In-operando neutron imaging is performed to estimate the water content in different components across the fuel cell thickness. Water saturation in thick PGM electrodes, with similar catalyst layer thickness to PGM-free electrodes, is lower than in the PGM-free electrodes irrespective of the operating conditions, due to high water retention by PGM-free catalysts. Improvements in fuel cell performance are accomplished by enhancing water removal from the flooded PGM-free electrode in three ways: (i) enhanced water removal with a novel microporous layer with hydrophilic pathways incorporated through hydrophilic additives, (ii) water removal through anode via novel GDL in the anode, and (iii) lower water saturation in PGM-free electrode structures with increased catalyst porosity.

Black bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) response to potassium fertilization in two different soils in Haiti

In the absence of calibrated soil test and proper nutrient recommendations for crop growth, Haitian farmers suffer from suppressed and uneconomical yields. Thus, decisions made by farmers are mostly ineffective not only economically but also resulted on negative impacts on the soils. This mismanagement is also observed in the low level of crop yield in Haiti, especially black bean, where it recorded the lowest yield among the Caribbean nation in 2016, 660 kg ha−1. Other than the inappropriate nutrient management, smallholders also face a lack of resources (technical, human, and financial inputs) needed to increase crop production. Furthermore, soils in tropical and subtropical regions are known to be deficient in exchangeable potassium (K) due to fixation on clay and poor water management. Supplying sufficient K is vital for crop growth and quality characteristics and K deficiency typically becomes a limiting factor in crop production. To understand how black beans respond to K fertilization, a pot study was conducted with two different soils (Kenscoff, acidic and Cabaret, alkaline) in Haiti using a completely randomized block design, replicated four times with four K (0, 20, 40, and 60 kg K ha−1) rates. All treatments received 55 kg ha−1 of phosphorus (P). As a result, black beans in the alkaline soil recorded highest yield of 3053 kg ha−1, when no K was applied, Additional amount of K, when the soil already tested high, in fact, reduced K uptake by the plants. However, the acidic soil recorded optimum yield at 20 kg K ha−1.

Climate-Smart Agro-Hydrological Model for a Large Scale Rice Irrigation Scheme in Malaysia

Agro-hydrological water management frameworks help to integrate expected planned management and expedite regulation of water allocation for agricultural production. Low production is not only due to the variability of available water during crop growing seasons, but also poor water management decisions. The Tanjung Karang Rice Irrigation Scheme in Malaysia has yet to model agro-hydrological systems for effective water distribution under climate change impacts. A climate-smart agro-hydrological model was developed using Excel-based Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) for adaptive irrigation and wise water resource management towards water security under new climate change realities. Daily climate variables for baseline (1976–2005) and future (2010–2099) periods were extracted from 10 global climate models (GCMs) under three Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios (RCP4.5, RCP6.0, and RCP8.5). The projected available water for supply to the scheme would noticeably decrease during the dry season. The water demand in the scheme will differ greatly during the months in future dry seasons, and the increase in effective rainfall during the wet season will compensate for the high dry season water demand. No irrigation will therefore be needed in the months of May and June. In order to improve water distribution, simulated flows from the model could be incorporated with appropriate cropping patterns.

The effect of irrigation on the yield and quality of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids

In this study, the effect of water supply on the quality and productivity of different maize hybrids was observed.
 Maize production is influenced by many agro-technical factors such as nutrient supply, plant density, environmental factors, water supply and temperature. Good soil quality and adequate technology significantly reduce the unfavourable effect of crop year. The impact of fertilization, crop rotation, irrigation and plant density on maize yield was greatly affected by crop year and crop rotation. The main constituent (69–75% dry matter concentration) of maize seed is starch, however, its increase can be achieved only to a limited extent, as increasing the starch content will reduce other parameters, especially protein content. Significant nutrient content improvements can be achieved by appropriate hybrid-site connection and the use of adequate technology. Protein content reduction with optimal water supply can be positively influenced by the appropriate nutrient supply for the hybrid.
 The experiments were carried out at the Látókép Experimental Site of Crop Production on calcareous chernozem soil. The weather of the examined year, which was partly favorable for maize and partly unfavourable in other respects, was also reflected in the development of maize and yields achieved.
 In 2019, we were examining the hybrids of Kamaria (FAO 370), P 9903 (FAO 390), DKC 4351 (FAO 370) and KWS Kamparis (FAO 350–400). Due to the dry soil condition, sowing was delayed, however, the hybrids emerged ideally because rain arrived soon after sowing, which facilitated initial development. Young plants evolved rapidly and dynamically in the case of all hybrids. In terms of heat-demanding bread, the month of May was unfavourable to temperatures below the annual average, but the higher amount rainfall helped the development. However, due to the drier period in early July, 25–25 mm of irrigation water was applied to half of the experimental areas on July 1 and 15.
 The aim of our research was to determine the best population density for hybrids under favourable soil conditions (calcareous chernozem soil). In both irrigated and dry conditions, a crop density of 75,000 crops were the most favourable for the Kamaria hybrid. The P9903 hybrid in the case of a crop density of 85 crops proved to be ideal and the DKC4351 had an optimal population density of 95,000.
 However, it should be taken into consideration that, in the case of soils with poor water management, the drought sensitivity of the crop stand may increase at a population density of 95,000.
 As a result of irrigation, yield increased and the difference between the examined plant numbers decreased. The yield growth was relatively moderate (341 kg ha-1 – 1053 kg ha-1), which makes the economicalness of irrigation doubtful in the given year.

Monthly precipitation assessments in association with atmospheric circulation indices by using tree-based models

The Urmia Lake basin is one of the most important basins in Iran, facing many problems due to poor water management and rainfall reduction. Under current circumstances, it becomes critical to have an advanced understanding of rainfall patterns in the basin, setting the motivation of this study. In this research, the mean monthly meteorological data of six synoptic stations of Urmia Lake basin were used (including relative humidity, temperature, minimum–maximum temperature and pressure) and large-scale atmospheric circulation indices (Southern Oscillation Index, North Atlantic Oscillation, Western Mediterranean Oscillation, Mediterranean Oscillation-Gibraltar/Israel and Mediterranean Oscillation-Algiers/Cairo) and sea surface temperatures of the Mediterranean, Black, Caspian, Red seas and Persian Gulf in the period 1988–2016. Various combinations of these variables used as input to the M5 tree and random forest models were selected by Relief algorithm for each month in three scenarios including atmospheric circulation indices, meteorological variables and combination of both. After the implementation of two models with three different scenarios, the evaluation criteria including correlation coefficient (R), mean absolute error and root-mean-square error were calculated and the Taylor diagram for each model was plotted. Our results showed that the M5 tree model performed superior in January, February, March, April, June, September, November and December, while the random forest model did in the remaining months. In addition, the indications of this study showed that the combination of atmospheric circulation indices and meteorological variables used as input to the models mostly constituted improved results.

An assessment of aquaculture table-size fish farmers activities in Kainji Lake Basin, Nigeria

The study assessed aquaculture table-size fish farmer’s activities in the Kainji Lake basin, Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined aquaculture activities in the area, assessed market information, channels and support organizations, and identified the major constraints to aquaculture table- size fish farming in the area. A two-stage sampling technique was used to select 120 table-size fish farmers. Primary data were collected with a questionnaire and presented using descriptive statistics. The result shows that majority of the respondents were males (82.1%), with mean age of 36.7 years, 53.8% had tertiary educational qualification while 66.7% had more than six years’ experience in fish farming. Majority (92%) of the table-size fish farmers operate with less than two ponds, 51% practice earthen pond system, while 91% of the farmers engage in the business for the purpose of generating income. Majority (90%) of the farmers sell their farmed fish after six months, 80% of the sales take place at farm-gate level, 80% of the owners of the fish farms are contacted directly by fish buyers. Also, majority (53.8%) of the fish buyers are the middle men who buy and resell to other fish users (processors, consumers, farmers etc). The major constraints to table-size fish farming were inadequate capital (46.2%), poor water management (33.3%), high cost of feed (10.3%) and poor pricing (10.3%). It is therefore recommended that fish farmers should form strong Farmer Associations to enable them combat the issues of accessing capital and poor pricing. This will aid in business expansion as the farmers will take advantage of economy of scale.
 Key words: aquaculture, table-size, fish, farmers

A simple method to evaluate groundwater vulnerability in urbanizing agricultural regions

A methodology to evaluate groundwater vulnerability was developed and tested in a case study in the Central Valleys of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, a region known for intensive agricultural activities and poor water management policies. An analysis was conducted to create and evaluate scenarios reflecting anthropogenic and natural stressors on groundwater using an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and geographic information systems. Uncertainty in the vulnerability model was assessed using a Monte Carlo analysis. Five indices (abstraction (Abs), pollution (Po), runoff (Ru), groundwater recharge (Re), and marginalization (Ma)) were selected after an evaluation of the effects of population growth, climatology, hydrogeological features, and social marginalization on access to groundwater. Abstraction, pollution, and recharge rates are the main drivers of groundwater vulnerability, accounting for 87% of the vulnerability. The analysis revealed that the proposed model generates consistent results and contains low uncertainty. It also showed that more than 50% of the region's groundwater is moderately, and the vulnerability has become increasingly with abstraction, reduced recharge, and pollution (the most sensitive indices), indicating that groundwater in the Central Valleys is under great stress. Pollution and abstraction of groundwater resources are expected to rise in the more vulnerable areas, which will increase water crises and reduce access to water in rural communities. The approach and the indicators establish a baseline for the management and protection of water resources in developing countries where high-resolution data are lacking.

Parametric review on Fuel Cells and their Applications

This study aims to review the issues affecting the long term performance and the life span of the fuel cell in accordance with the various surveys of the currently available. According to current research, parameters such as temperature, pressure along with other issues such as fuel and oxidant starvation (stoichiometric effect), corrosion, poor water management, humidity, and uncontrolled chemical reactions are some of the reasons leading to poor performance in the fuel cell. Poor water management can either lead to flooding or dehydration, both of which are extremely detrimental for the longevity of the fuel cell since the former facilitates corrosion of electrodes, membrane and catalyst layers whereas the latter leads to shrinkage of the membrane. Also, contamination of fuel cell membranes due to corrosion products or any impurities from outside leads to the poisoning of the cell. The construction of fuel cells in the future taking into consideration all these issues and mechanisms can lead to a performance-enhanced and long-lasting fuel cell.

Strengthening Water Irrigation Management to Increase Water Usage Efficiency

The land-use change from agricultural to the industrial city took place in Karawang. Besides land conversion, transfer in water usage also increased for industrial needs. This is caused by poor water management in terms of distribution and control of water usage, mainly in the industrial and agricultural sectors. The area of irrigated land was reduced from 97, 037 ha (2009) to 90, 062 ha (2017), while the amount of dry land increased from 22, 063 ha (2009) to 46, 299 ha (2017). It showed that the lack of irrigation water management has an impact on the reduction of fertile paddy fields. Therefore, this research aims to formulate an action plan of water irrigation management. The study was conducted in West Telukjambe District, Karawang Regency. The method used stakeholder analysis. Data obtained from observation and interview data, irrigated land area, and the amount of irrigation water availability. The results showed the overlapping and missing roles of several stakeholders in charge of irrigation water management in West Telukjambe. Model simulations showed the increasing of irrigation serving area for additional management performance of each stakeholder. Therefore, the integrated management of irrigation systems needed to control the distribution and water irrigation efficient.

Impacts of rainfall variability on paddy production: A case from Bayawa minor irrigation tank in Sri Lanka

Rainfall (RF) variability has been suggested as the primary reason for low paddy production in the recent past under minor irrigation tanks (MITs). A study was conducted to verify the relationship between observed crop success/failures and the RF variability in the Bayawa MIT system in the Kurunegala district of Sri Lanka. Seasonal and annual RF variability and its effect on paddy crops were analyzed. Daily rainfall data were obtained from the Wariyapola station from 1983 to 2014. Paddy production data for 20 consecutive seasons from 2003 to 2014 were collected from the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS), Colombo. Paddy samples from the Bayawa command area were used to calculate the land productivity and compared between the two cultivation seasons. Three types of direct RF impacts on paddy production in the Bayawa MIT system were identified: (1) reductions in the cropping intensity (CI), (2) total crop failures and (3) reductions in yield. During the study period, the CI was 80–173% with an average of 140% (expected value is 200%). Sixty percent of annual and seasonal RF values were below the long-term average showing a direct effect of RF on crop failures. Low production is not only due to the variability of annual or seasonal RF during the cultivation seasons, but also due to poor water management decisions, such as not cultivating considering the available water in the MIT. Thus, there is a need for wise water management decisions of MITs in this study area based on the variability of RF for sustainable paddy production.

Conceptual Design and Numerical Analysis of a Novel Floating Desalination Plant Powered by Marine Renewable Energy for Egypt

The supply of freshwater has become a worldwide interest, due to serious water shortages in many countries. Due to rapid increases in the population, poor water management, and limitations of freshwater resources, Egypt is currently below the water scarcity limit. Since Egypt has approximately 3000 km of coastlines on both the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, seawater desalination powered by marine renewable energy could be a sustainable alternative solution, especially for remote coastal cities which are located far from the national water grid. The objective of this research work is to evaluate the feasibility of a floating desalination plant (FDP) concept powered by marine renewable energy for Egypt. A novel design of the FDP concept is developed as an innovative solution to overcome the freshwater shortage of remote coastal cities in Egypt. A mobile floating platform supported by reverse osmosis (RO) membrane powered by marine renewable power technology is proposed. Based on the abundant solar irradiation and sufficient wind density, Ras Ghareb was selected to be the base site location for the proposed FDP concept. According to the collected data from the selected location, a hybrid solar–wind system was designed to power the FDP concept under a maximum power load condition. A numerical tool, the DNV-GL Sesam software package, was used for static stability, hydrodynamic performance, and dynamic response evaluation. Moreover, WAVE software was used to design and simulate the operation of the RO desalination system and calculate the power consumption for the proposed FDP concept. The results show that the proposed mobile FDP concept is highly suitable for being implemented in remote coastal areas in Egypt, without the need for infrastructure or connection to the national grid for both water and power.