Water.
Something we easily take for granted, when life itself would be impossible without it.
To mark this special day dedicated to H2O, our Oh Soo-young met with some innovative
minds, working to ensure a water-secure future for generations to come.
Korea is running short on water.
The average citizen uses about 282 liters of water a day, 40 percent more than the global
average.
And on top of that, leaky old pipes waste around 650 million tons of water every year.
The water shortage is expected to get significantly worse by 2025, especially with Korea's limited
rainfall that's concentrated in the summer... along with the dry spells seen in recent years.
That makes it all the more important for the country to save as much as it can by harvesting
rain water.
According to Professor Han Moo-young at Seoul National University, it's something that can
be done in a way that's not much harder than sitting in his rooftop garden run entirely
on rainwater.
"All water comes from precipation.
But we let it go to waste -- down the drains and into the river -- which is why we're so
short of water.
If we collect water from the surface instead, that could help overcome the shortage... and
reduce energy usage at the same time."
A storage tank collects the raindrops that glide off the roof and edges of the building,...
and it can even be extended into a water feature or a pond.
"When it rained, the water would be discarded.
Now we've channeled it over here.
When it rains, the pond fills up to the brim."
"It's the cleanest source of water.
Untouched."
Potted plants and flowers of your choice can also absorb the rain,... which seeps through
the roots and into the pipes before it's filtered for use.
In fact, the water is so clean that it can be used to grow fresh produce.
A local farming cooperative supported by the district has set up an organic vegetable farm
on the rooftop.
""This green space not only refreshes the mind but also tackles the water shortage,
drought and overheating -- it's very breezy here in the summer.
The raindrops fall into the storage tank, and, if it wasn't here, the drains could flood
when there's heavy rain.
So, the storage tank allows a smaller amount of water to flow into the drain, preventing
floods.
By growing crops, we also enhance food security.
So it's a multipurpose system in a way."
Another way to procure more water through the gift of nature -- a research team at Pohang
University of Science and Technology has invented a process of desalinating sea water -- based
on the roots of the tropical mangrove plant.
"Through a microscopic test, we can analyse the structure of the mangrove's roots and
see where it filters out the sodium.
We do that by injecting a flourescent substance that is sensitive to sodium ion.
After some time, we compare images to see where the sodium shows up."
The layered structure of the mangrove root naturally filters out saline material,...
and the team has developed a layered membrane filter that emulates that chemical process.
"Desalination plants are huge and require large amounts of pressure and electricity.
Such facilities also require regular -- and costly -- maintenance and repair work because
the salt builds up and can hurt its performance.
But our technology takes advantage of gravity.
We think using our technology can drive down facility costs to a fifth or a tenth,... and,
because it requires no electricity, those costs can be reduced too.
In terms of performance, it could outdo conventional technologies."
Not only is the membrane solution compact and energy efficient, it could one day be
used to make straws or plastic bottles that would enable you drink straight from the ocean.
It's not just a handy piece of technology,... it's a groundbreaking development that could
resolve the water shortage problem -- not just in Korea -- but across the world.
"About a third of the world is water-poor and that will rise to fifty percent in the
near future.
As quality of life improves, high quality, drinkable water becomes scarcer.
So we are looking at the drinking water market.
The technology could be especially useful in countries like Indonesia, India and Pakistan
because it can be used in contaminated water."
The team's findings were published in the journal Nature and by the American Chemical
Society.
Professor Lee's team is currently working to optimise the technology for wider use.
With innovative and affordable technology powered by the elements of nature,...
Korea's experts are striving to make every droplet counts towards a water-secure future.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.