MechChem Africa July-August 2023

Record temperatures and solutions to the freshwater crisis

During the third week of July, temperatures in Italy reached 45°C and were expected to peak at close to the European record of 48.8°, while wildfires raged in both Greece and Spain. Temperatures in California’s Death Valley approached 53.3°; and in China, temperature warnings of 40 to 45° in the semi-desert region of Xinjiang were issued. In response, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of the World Health Organisation, said: “The climate crisis is not a warning. It’s happening. I urge world leaders to act now.” In addition, a war rages on in Europe, we are seeing high global inflation, low growth, high debt, and rising discontent, all of which results in climate action being pushed well into the background. As is evident from several of the articles in this issue, ESG and the focus on environmental, social and governance factors to promote and assess the sustainability of companies and countries is taking root in many South African companies. The local energy crisis is making adoption of renewable solar solutions seem much more sensible. In addition, the disarray of our water infrastructure coupled with the effect of power outages on water availability are driving people towards water efficiency, storage, and reuse solutions to, at least partly, mitigate against water utility outages. But much more action on water is likely to be needed if, as expected, global warming continues to cause additional water stress to already dry cli mates. For a rural school in the Eastern Cape, WEC Projects has recently completed the installation of a NEWgenerator TM off-grid wastewater recycling system, to help rural and smaller communities in Africa with clean sanitation. The system creates a closed loop water cycle, eliminating waste while recovering biogas, producing nutrients for fertilisers and recycling ‘grey’ water for flushing and cleaning. The Circle of Blue Water Reporting website (www.circleofblue.org) has published a list of the top 19 things experts think we should be doing to solve the global freshwater crisis. At the top of the list is educate to change consumption and life styles. “Crisis involves education to motivate new behaviours. Coping with the coming era of water scarcity will require a major overhaul of all forms of consumption, from individual use to the supply chains of major corporations.” Inventing new water conservation technologies is Number 2, with the article suggesting that where aquifers are drying up and rainwater is increasingly unpredictable, innovative water conservation must become the focus, with energy consumption an as sociated consideration. Recycle wastewater using

modern cleansing technologies is third – drinking water use included. And, with some 70% of the world’s freshwater being used for agriculture, improving irrigation and agricultural practices is Number 4. Appropriately priced water? The suggestion is that raising prices will help lower waste and pollution. Developing energy efficient desalination plants, using solar power, for example, is at six. A new British system for irrigation is also referenced, which deliv ers saline/brackish water via an underground piping system directly to the roots of plants. But these innovations bring to light another needed resource—the capital for technological experimentation. In terms of water harvesting, the article reports that Pakistan and India are overhauling their rain water harvesting systems in an effort to provide in dependent control of local water resources. Further down the list, at Number 10, is the suggestion that we manage our ecosystems holistically, but adopt a practical, common-sense approach to overseeing natural resources that consider economic, cultural, and ecological goals. Underpinning this approach is the principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and each facet is related to and influenc es the others. The example given is community-run sewage treatment plants that pursue partnerships with clean energy producers to use wastewater to fertilize algae and other biofuel crops. The crops, in turn, soak up nutrients and purify wastewater, significantly reducing pumping and treatment costs. Back in January and February of 2009 in Victoria, Australia, a bushfire swept across the state, killing 173 people and destroying 400 000 ha of town ships and bushland. In Strathaven, in the heart of the affected area, a forged metal tree called The Blacksmith’s Tree has been erected to commemo rate the people who lost their lives. Local groups have since installed swales to direct and slow the passage of water and have planted an indigenous garden around the Tree. This prompted the State Government to repair erosion along the nearby creek. Today, the garden is being used as a seed bank by the local community-run nursery, and the area is home to wombats, wallabies and a variety of native birds. In wet weather, the swales fill with water and frogs are heard throughout the garden. The solutions we need to sustain us though cli mate change are not unknown or unrealistic. They just need to be prioritised, and for people to cooper ate with each other to implement them.

Peter Middleton

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