According to scientists, the world's serious water problems can be tackled by harvesting the potable water that exists in the form of water vapor on the surface of the sea. A study conducted by the University of Illinois in Champaign, USA, has suggested that there is a need to invest in an infrastructure capable of collecting water vapor at the surface of the sea. The research, led by Parveen Kumar, former executive director of the University's Air Research Institute and professor of civil and environmental engineering, examined 14 locations around the world that were facing water shortages. The objective of the review was to estimate the construction of a hypothetical structure that could continue to function under climate change by capturing water vapor from the ocean surface and turning it into potable water. According to Parveen Kumar, water scarcity is a global problem and America is also affected by it.
Decreasing water levels in the Colorado River Basin are affecting the entire western United States. However, due to low clouds and adequate amount of sunlight, there is continuous evaporation from the oceans near the subtropical regions like this region. The researchers said that past wastewater recycling, artificial rainfall and desalination techniques have yielded very limited results. However, many desalination plants around the world are facing sustainability issues due to the salty and heavy metal-rich wastewater produced by these plants. "Ultimately we will need a mechanism that will increase our water supply," Purun Kumar added. We believe that the proposed new methodology will largely meet this objective.