Our goal is to prove farming can be done in areas of drought or desert lands with low water usage. The primary plan is to buy water or convert seawater to usable water through the evaporation condensation process or desalinization.
The biggest issue with farming is having a good source of freshwater. Environmental change has left many farms high and dry. Worldwide an area half the size of the UK is lost each year to deserts. There are ways to solve this. There is presently advanced technology available for desalinization. Another technology we could use is drip farming and capturing humidity from the air. Our plan is to utilize all available technology and create some new ones of our own to make the best use of the water available.
- drip irrigation
- greenhouses
- Groasis Waterbox planting
- condensation
- metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).
- land management
- clay treatments
- desalinization
Combined with water conservation and reclamation we could use a system like Groasis to maximize every drop of water we use, https://www.groasis.com/en for an interesting, low-tech solution that is being used to counteract desertification we could start to grow more trees that are adapted to the harsh climate.
As we continue to expand, the foliage itself will start to cool the local environment creating more moisture eventually creating a self-sustaining new ecosystem.
Using smart land development we could capture any rains and prevent runoff loss. A system using liquid clay sprayed into the sandy soil can help with this.
How to desalinate seawater cheaply?
Two-thirds of the Earth is covered by oceans of saltwater. A special filter transforms it into freshwater. Thanks to a revolutionary filter, seawater is transformed into drinking water. This filter is an elaborate membrane that works on the reverse principle of osmosis. Osmosis is the phenomenon that results in the passage, through a membrane, from a less concentrated solution to a more concentrated solution. To desalt seawater, it is reverse osmosis: the salt is blocked before the membrane. This is possible thanks to a special membrane, which is made of polymer plastic or ceramic, and due to the electrical forces of saltwater.
Water From Evaporation
We could transport or pump water from the ocean. We would need to create enclosed reservoirs systems of two pools. In an enclosed area heated by the sun that would through evaporation and condensation create freshwater to be captured for irrigation.
Concern over Water Shortages for Existing Farms
The Water Crises Aren’t Coming—They’re Here
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a22627850/global-water-crisis/
What Happens to the U.S. Midwest When the Water’s Gone?
The Ogallala aquifer turned the region into America’s breadbasket. Now it, and a way of life, are being drained away.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016/08/vanishing-midwest-ogallala-aquifer-drought/
The Great Midwestern Overdraft
https://waterfm.com/the-great-midwestern-overdraft/
References:
Adding clay to sandy soil helps it retain water.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-43962688
Drip Irrigation is the most efficient water and nutrient delivery system for growing crops.
https://www.netafim.com/en/drip-irrigation/
The Groasis Waterbox is a device designed to help in growing trees in dry areas.
Grab the water from the air.
NASA scientist is behind the idea to use water from the Great Lakes
Great Lakes water piped to Southwest ‘our future,’ says NASA scientist
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/04/10/great-lakes-water-piped-southwest-our-future-says-nasa-scientist/100301326/
What If Boston Shipped All Its Snow To Water-Starved California?
https://www.vocativ.com/culture/science/boston-blizzard-california-drought/index.html