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Journalism of Courage
Billions of people across the world have little to no access to potable water, which makes up less than 1 per cent of Earth’s water.
Keeping such issues in mind, in 1992 the UN Conference on Environment and Development suggested an international observance for water. In 1993, the UN General Assembly assigned March 22 to be the World Water Day, a day dedicated to increase awareness about water-related issues and inspire action.
But what can be done to resolve this worrisome state of affairs? Scientists, researchers and environmentalists around the world have been working various projects that would improve sustainability and quality of water. This year, on World Water Day, we take a look at some of those inventions/projects that may improve the situation.
Seabin
Developed by Australian surfing-enthusiasts Peter Ceglinski and Andrew Burton, the Seabin was invented with the aim of cleaning the ocean surface. The bin consists of a vacuum that sucks garbage floating on the water surface and a filter to filter out garbage and oil from water. As a major plus-point, the bin does not harm the fish that dwell below the surface.
WaterisLife’s Drinkable book
No, it’s not a book that you can drink. It is a book with scientifically advanced filter papers lined with silver that kills waterborne pathogens when used with its custom-made filter box. The book also gives guidelines on water sanitation. The inventors claim each book can last up to four years.
Ocean CleanUp
One of the largest ocean cleanup project, this project involves a huge V-shaped barrier to collect garbage floating over the ocean surface, with the help of sea currents and wind at its elbow, which is made of vulcanised rubber. Vessels will periodically collect garbage from this elbow for recycling. According to a press release, the project had completed an expedition of the ‘Great Pacific Garbage’ in 2015 and is set to start clean up operations by 2020.
UTEC’s Water Billboard
University of Engineering and Technology of Peru (UTEC) developed a billboard that collects and filters water particles from humid air, generating 26 gallons of potable water a day. The system is however not self-powered and requires electricity to power its devices. The system works best in humid conditions. Watch a video that tells you more about the project.
LUV Water
Developed by students at the Integrated Innovation Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, the LUV water purifier uses a self-powered mechanism that uses the weight of the water to rotate its motors and power the UV-LED which kills 99.9 per cent of the pathogens. The system is also fitted with a coarse-particle filter.
Know more about the project here.
