Due to Iran's dry and semi-arid climate, water scarcity has long been a problem, forcing governments and academics to explore innovative ways to manage water usage.
One of the key bodies supporting tech teams working on the issue is the Water, Drought and Environmental Workgroup, affiliated to the Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology.
Based on the government’s policies on supporting budding tech groups and fostering a knowledge-based economy, the workgroup extends financial, legal, commercial and technical assistance to startups working on water management.
Thanks to the workgroup’s multidimensional support, over 80 projects related to water have been implemented in the last two years (March 2019-21), the vice presidential office reported on its website.
Some of the plans include water resource exploration in Iran, detection of water springs in coastal areas, measuring watershed level and topographical surveys.
The tech groups also pursued initiatives, such as state-of-the-art water treatment and desalination processes, optimization of water distribution in buildings, developing small and large-scale modern greenhouses, and reducing soil salination and degradation in conventional farming.
In addition, projects like producing drought-resistant plant species for reforestation and organic, modified crops have also been implemented.
According to the vice presidential office, such initiatives are expected to generate employment, upgrade technologies used in water management and improve consumption patterns in households and industries.
Latest Efforts
The previous round of inaugurations was in mid-July, when the vice presidential office launched four plans to improve water supply and consumption management.
One of the projects coming on stream was the localization of silicon carbide ceramic membranes for water and wastewater treatment.
Ceramic membranes are utilized to upgrade a water treatment plant in Qazvin by Barikey Electron Company.
These membranes, according to the company, are thin layers of semiconductors that can separate suspended particles from the water, as it flows through treatment ducts at a specific flow rate and pressure.
Ceramic membranes eliminate some of the drawbacks of traditional polymer varieties, such as limited temperature resistance, poor mechanical strength, biodegradability and short life.
Another project was the introduction of thermal imaging infrared cameras.
Rayan Fan Company developed thermal cameras, which can capture heat radiation in the 8,000-14,200-nanometer range. The device can be used to locate and monitor underground water resources.
The localization of aquaculture cages and brackets was also introduced by Sharif Marine Technology Company. These are currently being used on Qeshm Island in Persian Gulf waters.
The most practical endeavor was the development of Electro-Dialysis Reversal desalination devices.
EDR applies electricity to electrodes, pulls naturally occurring dissolved salts through an ion exchange membrane and separates water from the salts.
The manufacturer, Payam Avaran Company, has used the product to supply clean drinking water in arid and semi-arid rural spots.
Three EDR devices with a daily water discharge of 250 and 50 cubic meters have been erected in Arabi, Aliabad and Haj Nowshad villages in the southern province of Bushehr, according to the company.
State Support
The Iranian government is supporting technology companies to play a bigger role in water and energy conservation projects.
Following the vice presidential office’s call on tech firms in March to expand their role in such projects, 46 innovative proposals have been submitted, among which 35 were approved for implementation.
These schemes mainly deal with energy technologies, water management, heating and electricity, wind turbines, solar energy and the commercialization of R&D results.
The office has said it will assist tech companies in fostering economic and industrial growth, expanding market share and commercializing their innovations.
Government support will include seed money, technical and technological mentorship, low-cost workspace at tech centers and tech parks, as well as legal and marketing counseling.
Ongoing Schemes
In tech-related news, a knowledge-based company Avisa Hydroculture is offering agricultural technology solutions to curb water consumption in the key sector.
It educates farmers on hydroponics, a form of greenhouse agriculture that involves growing crops without soil and with less water.
Rasoul Rahnamaei, the company CEO, said, “Our staff initially prepare analytical reports on the use of light, type of plants, greenhouse quality and other parameters. Later, farmers are taught how to better feed their crops as per hydroponic analyses.”
Hydroponics is a branch of hydroculture that involves growing plants in an aqueous solvent without the use of soil. Its technology allows terrestrial plants to grow with only their roots subjected to the nutrient liquid, or with the roots supported by an inert medium such as perlite, gravel, or other substrates.
According to the company’s CEO, fish excrement, duck manure and chemical fertilizers are some of the sources of nutrients used in the hydroponic system.
Pesticides are not used in hydroponic farming and soil contamination does not pose a problem. Water circulates through the plants during the process, reducing water consumption and the overall cost of farming.
Rahnamaei said hydroponics has several benefits, the most important of which is reduction of water use.
Iran is facing serious water challenges, as precipitation is declining to hitherto unseen levels, consumption continues to rise and water mismanagement continues.
According to scientific evidence, traditional farming methods need 400 liters of water to grow 1 kilogram of tomatoes while hydroponics requires only 70 liters.
Farmers in harsh environments with limited access to water can upgrade their practices by using hydroponics and profit from these systems, he added.
Nanotech Solutions
Environmentalists, academics and economic experts are urging authorities and farmers to embrace nanotechnology to modernize the agro sector and curb water use.
Alireza Allafchian, deputy director of Nanotech Research Center at Isfahan University of Technology, says the efficient management of surface water can have a major positive impact on the key farming sector.
“Nanotech water treatment systems store and purify surface waters and reduce evaporation,” he said.
In such systems, nanomembranes are used to soften the water and remove physical, biological and chemical contaminants.
Allafchian noted that nanomaterial has an internal or surface structure in the nanoscale, with a length ranging from 1 to 100 nm.
Nanotechnology increases crop productivity and minimizes pesticide use by utilizing nanoparticle-mediated gene or DNA transfer in plants.
The genetic modification of crops, reduction of agricultural waste and higher yields with the use of nano-biocompatible materials are some of the benefits of nanotechnology.
Nanotech’s contribution to farming includes the use of nano-formulations of chemicals for developing pesticides and fertilizers, nanosensors for crop protection, identification of disease and chemical residues, employment of nano-devices for genetic engineering of plants and improvement of postharvest management.
