The Earth’s population is increasing rapidly. With that, the need for fresh water is also growing in order to produce the food needed for survival.
Demand is increasing as supplies diminish.
Water management must protect fresh water supplies, or produce more from other sources.
The Science Museum in London is currently hosting an exhibition of innovative technologies that scientists have come up with to create or conserve these precious water resources.
The Water Wars exhibit presents five different technologies from around the globe. Technologies include nets to catch and condense fog; specially designed water boxes which nourish surrounding plants; and a device which uses energy generated by bugs munching on waste water to power an electric fan.
James Bell, the Science museum’s exhibition developer, explains that the exhibit demonstrates scientists’ creative ideas to help conserve the Earth’s water resources. He says the microbial fuel cell, which both cleans water and generates electricity, “could one day be used to desalinate water”, that is, to make fresh water from sea water.
The exhibition name, however, is slightly misleading, says water expert Professor Tony Allan, who is part of the London Water Research Group. According to Professor Allan, water-related wars have hardly ever occurred because food trade solves water limitations.
“Sitting in the middle of London as we are now, there are 17 million people living in a basin which only has enough water for about two, or three perhaps…but we don’t even think about the food that’s coming in to solve our big water problem”. He claims that most of the future savings in water will come in agriculture, but desalination is promising as well.
The Water Wars exhibit represents the growing research interest in protecting precious water reserves and making more fresh water using technology.
The exhibit will be at the London Science Museum until 20th June 2012.
Gena Ng and Lisa Raffensperger contributed reporting.
Photo by Dr Rawhead via Flickr