How the UAE’s deserts could be the solution to climate change

The vast desert and sandy lands of the United Arab Emirates may be a solution fight climate changewater scarcity and food security, according to a company using innovative technology to turn sand grains into agriculture-friendly farmland.

Dubai-based Dake Rechsand’s “breathable sand” technology helps desert sand retain moisture around roots while allowing air to flow freely.Chairman and CEO Chandra Dake said the technology could Innovate agriculture in the desert.

Dubai-based Dake Rechsand’s “breathable sand” technology helps desert sand retain moisture around roots while allowing air to flow freely.

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“The idea is that the desert itself will be the solution to the desert problem,” he told Al Arabiya English. “Desert sand has never been used in any industry before. Now we’ve created an industry out of it. Breathable sand is a special kind of sand that allows plants to grow better because it aerates.”

The desert sand is processed using Rechsands’ patented technology called Surface Free Energy, which is based on how solids react with the surface tension of liquids to form “water bodies” on top of the sand.

“Desert sand is the raw material, and then we coat it with a special technology that makes it perform as we expect it to—like retain water,” Dake said.

The CEO explained that the sand is covered with a “special” layer made up of a combination of minerals that do not contain any chemicals but accelerate the process of physically changing the properties of the sand.

The “breathable sand” technology of Dubai-based company Dake Rechsand.

“This breathable sand — unlike normal desert sand, which usually disappears when you water it — retains moisture and keeps it there for longer,” Dak told Al Arabiya English.

“This becomes your water retention zone. And then this topsoil that used to be a desert can now become arable land, because you can grow here, and it starts to retain nutrients, and then slowly over time, it becomes rich in minerals and nutrients, and then the plants can grow better.”

According to Dake, this is how the movement of air and water is controlled.

Dake, who moved to the UAE in 2018, says “breathing sand” can do “amazing effects” on all types of plants, leaves, plants and produce, from jasmine to coconut palms to roses and hibiscus. (supply)

“This makes the plant grow better because it allows aeration,” giving the roots more oxygen, he said.

“So that’s why the plants grow healthy, the leaves are healthy, the produce is healthy.”

Dake, who moved to the UAE in 2018, says “breathing sand” can do “amazing effects” on all types of plants, leaves, plants and produce, from jasmine to coconut palms to roses and hibiscus.

In the UAE, the company works with private farms and several schools in Dubai through the Ministry of Education, and with government ministries in Sharjah. In Abu Dhabi, the technology has helped grow peanuts, mung beans, green beans and black-eyed peas, while orchids have also yielded promising results.

Dubai-based Dake Rechsand’s “breathable sand” technology helps desert sand retain moisture around roots while allowing air to flow freely. (supply)

According to Dake, the company has further plans for the area. While sand processing is currently taking place in China, a factory will be built in the UAE by the end of the year.

Additionally, according to Dake, the company is in talks with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar to launch pilot projects using Rechsand technology in three GCC countries.

Another benefit of using the technology is the sustainability aspect, he said.

“It saves or reduces the use of fertilizers. So you can grow organic produce in uncontaminated soil because there are no chemical-laden fertilizers. And then, it saves water. The technology saves water by 75% to 80%. By using the same amount of water, we can grow more than 10 times the vegetation. Therefore, we can increase the number of plants with the same amount of water. In addition, it reduces the dependence on the import of crops and agricultural products, improving the UAE self-sufficiency.”

Dake said the technology only needs to be applied once on the beach, and it can be used for a lifetime without repeated application.

“You don’t have to reapply after five years or at any point – it’s just once in a lifetime and the farm becomes arable forever.”

Breathable sand isn’t the only innovative and sustainable water-saving solution in this desalination-dependent Gulf state.

The company is also in talks with the UAE to use its “sponge city” technology. This new model of urban development utilizes permeable roads and honeycomb water storage to harvest rainwater and mitigate flooding.

The company is also in talks with the UAE to use its “sponge city” technology. This new model of urban development utilizes permeable roads and honeycomb water storage to harvest rainwater and mitigate flooding. (supply)

The technology, applied to road surfaces, can collect and collect large volumes of water – such as during a nationwide downpour – which can then be sustainably stored, treated and reused. The cellular technology means the water stays fresh, giving the UAE a “new water source” rather than relying on desalinated water.

The cellular technology means the water stays fresh, giving the UAE a “new water source” rather than relying on desalinated water. (supply)

The companies said they hope the technology will help support the climate ambitions of the UAE, the first country in the region to commit to the Paris Agreement, submit a Nationally Determined Contribution, and the first to develop a roadmap to net zero .

Globally, the UAE has invested a total of US$50 billion in renewable energy and clean technology over the past 15 years. It plans to invest another $50 billion over the next few years, including in agricultural technology, smarter water use and food production.

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