Water projects in Mali
On April 25 2017, the Netherland Ministry of the Defence, at press centre Nieuwpoort, gave opportunity to two teams of Dutch social engineers to explain the test results of their pioneering water projects at the military camp in Mali.
Intuitively, many people consider the desert to be the driest place on earth. However, appearances are deceptive and the air can be very moist in desert areas. At the invitation of the Netherlands Chief of Defence general Tom Middendorp, artist Ap Verheggen and his team conducted tests in Mali to gain drinking water from hot air. For his project, called Sunglacier, Verheggen used two specially build Desert Twins, inspired on the Moon Lander. Via a solar panel he was able to generate enough energy to condensate the available water in the dry Mali air.
Two other young engineers of the University of Applied Science The Hague tested another innovation. They developed a water desalination kit, in the size of a coffee machine. The machine can clear and desalinate water using solar energy.
The two succesful projects could result in the production of cheap drinking water in warm and water stressed regions. They can benefit peacekeeping missions in these regions, as well as local populations. For more information download this video on the projects.