March 22 is World Water Day, and at KAUST, we want to celebrate the importance of water and support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: clean water and sanitation for all by 2030.
This year’s theme, “ACCELERATING CHANGE,” focuses on accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis. And because water affects us all, we need everyone to take action. Find more information click here.
Activities at KAUST
March 20, 2023
The Office of Sustainability will host The Thirst Project and organize two events to raise awareness about the water and sanitation crisis, and how we can collaborate to overcome it.
- Lunch Lecture: The impact of clean water and sanitation
12:00-1:30 p.m.
Bldg 5, Level 5, Room 5220
Water is the world’s most precious resource. Without it, life is not possible. Still, to meet the drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene targets for the UN 2030 Agenda, we need to increase the pace of progress by four times. According to the UN, at current rates, over 1.6 Billion people will lack safely managed drinking water in 2030, so every effort to establish close, safe water sources for communities in need matters. Evan Wesley serves as Vice President for Student Activation at the NGO Thirst Project, the world’s leading youth water organization. In his talk, open to all KAUST community, Evan will talk about the current global water crisis, the social impact of efficient water management in developing communities, the work done by Thirst Project, and how achieving the targets set for SDG 6 can help us to achieve several other SDGs. Light Lunch will be served.
- Panel Discussion: How can technology-based social cooperation drive global water security?
3:00-4:00 p.m.
Bldg 5, Level 5, Room 5220
Water is a crucial resource for both human well-being and ecosystem functioning, yet water scarcity, poor water quality, and inadequate sanitation are significant global challenges. SDG 6 aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Technology-based social cooperation has the potential to address these water-related challenges by providing innovative solutions, such as affordable water harvesting, sanitization, and distribution technologies, as well as knowledge sharing and mentorship. Scientists play a crucial role in solving the water and sanitation crisis, but more can be done to improve cooperation between research institutions and NGOs for social impact.
This panel discussion is open to the entire KAUST community and will feature a group of KAUST faculty, students, and invited guests working in an NGO and tech start-up operating in low and middle-income countries. The discussion will focus on how researchers can get involved with social impact organizations, what priorities exist on-site, and how to effectively adapt and implement new technologies for water management in areas with particular socio-economic contexts.
FM- Utilities, KAUST Desalination Plant Visit: The team will discuss the desalination process and explain each stage from seawater intake until the final potable water distribution.
9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
CUP Area
Community Life Child Care Services: The children will listen to presentations to help them better understand water sources, filtration process. They will also do fun activities that will illustrate consumption and where they can save water vs. wastewater. Arts and crafts will be prepared for the senior group.
- Water Conservation and consumption activities
KG After school program
ECC2 Harbor Daycare
March 21, 2023
The Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC) will host various activities to demonstrate the innovative research being done at the center and to highlight its impact in the KSA Vision 2030.
- MEDAD Pilot Plant tour
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Building 7
The KAUST-based spinoff MEDAD has won international recognition for its innovation and for promoting environmental sustainability. The hybrid MEDAD cycle desalinates seawater using solar energy at a temperature of 60 – 80 degrees Celsius using renewable solar energy, which is abundant in the Gulf. The hybridization of the adsorption (AD) cycle, combined with conventional multi-effect desalination (MED and hence the MEDAD), helps overcome the operational limitations of MED and nearly double water production at the same temperature. The resulting hybrid MEDAD cycle has achieved performance levels of 20 percent of thermodynamic limits compared to between 10 and 13 percent for conventional desalination.
Join this tour to visit the plant and see the latest technological innovations from Professor Kim Choon Ng’s group.
- WDRC Science Exhibition
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Building 4, level 2, lobby
The Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC) serves the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the global community by enhancing technologies for water desalination, wastewater treatment, and water reuse. In this exhibition, the WDRC researchers and students will present their work to demonstrate the technological innovations being developed at the center based on the three flagship themes of Greener Desalination, Waste to Resource, and Water Security. Afternoon refreshments will be served.
- WDRC Lab Open House
Time: 2:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 4:00 p.m.
Building 4, level 4 (seaside)
The WDRC analytical laboratory is an integral part of the scientific research activities in the center. The tour will showcase the state-of-the-art facility and its specialized analytical equipment being used in water research. Visitors will also see the lab set-ups of the various groups in the center. Registration is not required.
- WDRC Quizzes and games
2:00 -5:00 p.m.
Outside Building 4, Spine, Room 2286
Join the WDRC World Water Day activities and get the chance to win exciting prizes! The WDRC Students Committee has prepared some fun quizzes, a treasure hunt, and more. Give-away and prizes await our enthusiastic participants!
- Water Tasting Challenge organized by Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC) in collaboration with Health Safety and Environment (HSE)
4:00 -6:00 p.m.
Discovery Square
The KAUST desalinated water is a resource to the KAUST community and is of high quality and safe to drink. In this activity, WDRC scientists and HSE staff will ask participants to taste and compare the KAUST desalinated water against commercial brands and filtered water to encourage people to make more sustainable drinking water choices.
March 22-23, 2023
The KAUST School in collaboration with the Office of Sustainability, TKS will host Evan Wesley from the Thirst Project to work with students and discuss the water crisis.
- Lecture: Water across civilizations
March 22
8:10-10:45 a.m.
GSS Theater
In this presentation tailored to groups of Grade 6 TKS students, Evan will present how water is a precious resource that determines the success or failure of past and present civilizations. Students will learn about ongoing projects across the globe that the Thirst Project is involved in, and the impact clean water has on underprivileged communities. The importance of storytelling and narrative within civilizations will also be discussed.
- Workshop: Finding solutions for the water crisis
March 23
8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Location: Bld 20 Rehearsal Room
Access to clean water and reliable energy sources are two essential factors for human well-being and sustainable development. Unfortunately, many countries continue to face challenges in providing these basic necessities to their communities. During this workshop, TKS students from Grades 9 and 10 will be exposed to projects around the world focused on addressing the water crisis and limited access to energy in low- and middle-income countries. NGO representative Evan Wesley and entrepreneur Joy Egbe will speak to students about connecting with different cultures, geographies, and regional challenges in order to develop and implement sustainable solutions. Students will also explore how the water crisis and access to energy are connected to the United Nations Development Goals, and will examine innovative ideas as key means to ecosystem restoration.
