Tech Smart Bahrain can Outsmart Climate Change

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain has been combatting climate change and its consequences in form of rising temperatures, challenging water security conditions amid rising sea levels. Due to these conditions food self sufficiency too is facing an uphill scenario. According to Climate Change Knowledge report, temperatures in Bahrain have been shifting upward at a rate of 0.25 °C per decade since 1970. These conditions have had a domino effect on water security over the past few decades as the rate of groundwater depletion, and saltwater intrusion has increased. Though Bahrain has commendably kept the devastating effects of climate change at bay till date due to timely interventions and initiatives but future climate change combat strategy needs innovation and technology in order to ensure that climate change does not transform into climate crisis for Bahrain.

Radical environmental technologies are the only methods to achieve a definitive edge over climate change and its consequences. Be it extreme heat, water scarcity or food insecurity, desert nations are increasingly moving away from basic and traditional environmental conservation to regenerative infrastructure and circular desert economies. A concept gaining ground in this regard is Blue Carbon Desert Wetlands. Under this initiative artificial coastal wetlands, mangrove forests and salt marshes are created in low lying desert coastlines. These ecosystems thrive in hyper-saline water and trap carbon up to 10 times faster than tropical rainforests. Bahrain already has good extent of mangrove forests especially in Ras Sanad region, at the southern edge of Tubli Bay. This concept can be used to further expand these forests even faster.

On the food security front, Bahrain can effectively respond to climate change challenges posed to agriculture by adopting Liquid Nanoclay (LNC) technology. LNC is a technology that mixes fine clay particles with water and sprays it onto desert sand. This bonds the sand particles together, allowing the soil to retain water and nutrients like high-quality agricultural land, turning barren dunes into arable tracts in just a few hours. Similarly, Halophyte Agriculture and Biosaline Farming can also be practiced which will not only help cultivating saltwater-tolerant crops like glasswort, sea aster, and specific strains of quinoa, but because the crop is irrigated directly with untreated seawater the precious freshwater resources are also successfully preserved.

Bahrain can also encourage the large scale adoption of Automated Vertical Desert Farms. These farms can be completely powered by solar energy that use AI-driven aeroponics to grow leafy greens using 95% less water than traditional farming. In addition to these initiatives, Bahrain can also set up Seawater Greenhouses to make agri sector even more climate resilient. Seawater Greenhouses use solar power to pump seawater, which is then evaporated to cool and humidify the air inside the greenhouse. The remaining vapor is condensed into fresh water to irrigate crops, creating a self-sustaining agricultural loop in pure desert sand. Furthermore, with the aid of Agrivoltaics in arid regions, Bahrain can change the narrative of how the agri-sector tackles climate challenges. In this regard, the placement of solar panels directly above desert crops create a shade for the plants, reducing water evaporation by up to 40%, while the moisture transpired by the plants cools the solar panels, increasing their energy efficiency. A Techsmart Bahrain can outsmart climate change.

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Daily Tribune)