Singapore uses about 430 million gallons of water every day- a number it expects could double in the next four decades. That kind of consumption is piling pressure on the Asian city state to address growing concerns about global water shortage. So it's building new technology to prepare itself for a future where obtaining clean water will be even more difficult.
Rapid urbanization and rising global temperatures are making access to natural water sources increasingly hard to come by. Today, a quarter of the world lives in areas of high water stress. Singapore is home to more than five million people and is covered in fountains, landscape pools and other water features(水景设计). But it has no natural water sources of its own, instead relying heavily on recycled water and imports from its neighbors.
Snyder's research facility is one of several places developing solutions for Singapore's water dependency. The hope is to create projects that could be used across the city. One development: a small, black sponge(海绵) called carbon fiber aerogel can clean waste water on a mass scale. The material is being further developed for commercial use by Singapore-based startup EcoWorth Technology. According to CEO Andre Stoltz, the company will first enter Singapore's waste water market before eventually developing this material for use on a global scale.
Another company, WateRoam, is already taking innovation from Singapore to the rest of the region. Founded in 2014, WateRoam says it has developed a lightweight, portable filtration (过滤) device that they say has already provided clean drinking water to more than 75, 000 people across Southeast Asia.
The water filtration device is no bigger than a bicycle pump, yet it can provide clean water to villages of 100 people for up to two years, according to the company.
"We've been very blessed to have access to clean drinking water, "Pong said. "It's a privilege that we should be able to bring forth to the rest of the region, and advocate that clean water is an essential aspect for life on earth."
