We live in a thirsty world. Despite the planet’s rich water resources, scientists estimate that more than half the world’s population, doesn’t have enough water for at least one month each year and 500 million of them don’t have enough throughout the entire year. One person needs about 50 L of water each day to meet basic needs, such as water for drinking, food preparation and personal hygiene. When we factor in climate change and a growing global population which is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, it becomes clear the world is only going to get thirstier.

In an attempt to eliminate water scarcity, scientists have been searching for alternative water sources and that’s where air-to-water technology comes in! One of the most sustainable sources of water comes from moisture in the air, it’s everywhere – even in the desert! It has the potential to help water-deprived people no matter where they’re located.

Scientists and a growing number of companies such as Mayee Water, who make air-to-water technologies, are working on harvesting water from the atmosphere in practical and inexpensive ways. In humid climates like the UAE, where the air is thick with water vapour but the vapour hasn’t nucleated into droplets, technology that can condense and collect it will work best and in arid regions, specialised machines will still need to be developed, that can collect what little moisture there is.

The atmosphere contains as much as 1.29 x 1016 L of water in the form of clouds, fog and vapour which is six times as much water as what’s in the world’s rivers, one of the major sources of drinking water. Therefore, water from the air may be the only solution to eliminate water scarcity and provide enough drinking water for everyone, worldwide.