UAE is one of the driest and most water-scarce nations of the world. From creating artificial rains to declaring international research prize for weather modification; the nation is leaving no stone unturned to fight gargantuan scarcity of water. Now a Masdar city based private firm has come up with an idea of towing an iceberg from Antarctica to solve water scarcity.
The firm is planning to send across a ship to the south pole and tow the iceberg nearly 12,600 km to Fujairah, one of the seven emirates in UAE. Once the iceberg arrives successfully, the firm aims to harness millions of gallons of fresh water. The blocks of ice will be chipped off and stored in large containers to filter and supply the water. As per the estimate, it could provide water to 1 million people over the period of five years.
“Our simulator predicts that it will take up to one year [to tow an iceberg to UAE]. We have formulated the technical and financial plan. Towing is the best method. We want it mainly for the water. It could also be good for tourism and the weather,” said the company’s director, Abdullah Mohammed Sulaiman Al Shehi told Gulf News.
He is also expecting that the presence of iceberg will change the climate of UAE to moist-microclimate. This may also lead to rainfall.
We wonder about the environmental feasibility of this project and what experts have to say about this altercation with nature in the grim era of global warming and climate change.
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