AUC’s CARES Showcases Research on Sustainable Water, Energy and Food Solutions at COP27
The Center for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES) at The American University in Cairo (AUC) showcased some of its research on sustainable water, energy, and food solutions at the University’s pavilion in the COP27’s Green Zone in Sharm El Sheikh. “We are displaying two prototypes of our research to bridge the gap between water scarcity and energy consumption for food production. One prototype displayed is the Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), which maximizes water productivity to produce more fish with less water in a minimal ground area. The second is the sandponics prototype, which refers to growing fish and plants simultaneously using sand as a primary medium for filtration and growing media for vegetables. This promising sustainable solution uses fish wastewater as a natural fertilizer for the plants. Both systems can use either saline or freshwater,” said Yasmine Abdel Maksoud, senior technical manager at CARES.
As the human population has just exceeded 8 billion people, the pressure on Earth’s limited resources, such as freshwater and agricultural land, keeps on increasing. To combat food and water scarcity, CARES has been developing solutions for food and water scarcity since 2015 and researching desalination and food farming to adapt to climate change in Egypt and the region. The center has for several years focused its research on RAS, aquaponics and sandponics, investigating practical, sustainable solutions for water scarcity and food security. Several research publications were released to increase the concept’s awareness and knowledge among academia and the public. The center has also investigated the potential of growing crops using saline irrigation water under hydroponic conditions in CARES-controlled greenhouse facilities.
The center also established two desalination units. The first is a semi-commercial unit that can produce 5m3 of fresh water per day. The unit has several treatment phases to ensure high-water quality production with minimum energy. The second desalination unit is research-based and produces freshwater and brine that can be used for agricultural purposes. The desalination research plant is powered by solar energy.
AUC participated in the Green Zone of COP27, the world’s largest climate conference, in Sharm El Sheikh International Convention Center, with a team of more than 130 members, including AUC scholars, students and several staff members. AUC’s pavilion includes innovative and sustainable technologies prototypes that showcase AUC’s solutions to combat climate change, in addition to poster and screen areas that show the University’s current research to contribute to finding solutions for a number of challenges in Egypt. The University is also showing case studies, leading by example and primarily disseminating its knowledge and innovative strategies through stage presentations of AUC’s faculty, students and staff research.
Visit AUC’s climate change initiative website, a hub aggregating the University’s work along five areas of focus: water scarcity, energy transition, green finance, urban development and public health.