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Episode released on January 9, 2025
Episode recorded on August 28, 2024
Yoshi Wada is a Professor at the Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering at KAUST, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.
Highlights | Transcript
Background on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
Population, 34 million, growing rapidly (3.3%, 2023), average age: 30 years
Demography: diverse, 1/3rd migrant labor force (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh)
2/3rd Saudi nationals
Climate: hyperarid to arid
Land area: 2 million km2;
Access to coast: Red Sea, Persian Gulf;
Topography: Mountains to desert plains
Economic diversification from fossil fuels
Wada research team: hydrology, macroeconomy, energy security, food security, ecosystems and biodiversity
Saudi Arabia investing in big infrastructure
Neom city, projected population: 9 million
170 km long
Port Oxagon, part of major global shipment path
Energy source: all renewable
Water source: desalination
Asian Winter Olympics in Riyadh, 2034
Food production: Saudi Arabia used to be one of largest wheat exporters globally
Saudi Arabia used to be one of the top 10 wheat exporters but ceased in 2015 (link).
Center pivot irrigation, extracting water from few 100 m deep aquifers
NASA estimated that much of the fossil groundwater was exploited
Main water source: groundwater, fossil aquifers, essentially no recharge
Mega aquifers: Umm Er Radhuma and Dammam aquifers (Awadh et al., Env. Dev. & Sust., 2021)
Recharge localized in wadis after intense rain
Water consumption: 80% irrigated agriculture
Saudi Arabia relies heavily on food imports, ~$17-B in 2022 from Brazil (2.6 B), India ($1.9 B), Australia ($1.3 B), and US (1.3 B) Link
Building food reserve storage to address geopolitical shocks
Agricultural water consumption decreasing by 30 – 40% with reduction in production of wheat, alfalfa, and livestock
Shifting toward more high value crops (fruits and vegetables) and vertical farming, hydroponics
Controlled environmental agriculture, control water, UV, CO2 to enhance growth, vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, fruits, 100% self-sufficient in grapes and dates. (link)
Controlled environmental agriculture: trade energy for food
Controlled water and CO2, increase yields of fruits and vegetables by 20 – 30%
National food security, food reserves, food storage, China has large food reserves.
Saudi Arabia is investing in food storage for cereals for 1 – 2 yr
Food reserves could also help absorb price shocks such as wheat price increases of over 50% in 1 month several years ago.
Energy:
- Electricity production, 2022, 60% natural gas, 40% oil, renewables increasing (EIA link).
- Saudi Arabia is aiming for net zero emissions in 2060.
- Investing into solar and wind, but renewables are not available 24/7.
- Energy storage: batteries
- Nuclear power projected in the south
- Geothermal (link)
- Pumped storage (Neom to start $2.7 B hydropower scheme qualification)
- Hydrogen: Green Hydrogen Innovation Center generated with renewables and desalinated seawater. $8 B investment in hydrogen. 9 L water/kg H2. Seawater desalination ~50% efficient, 18 L seawater, and disposal of concentrate in Red Sea.
- Desalination decreasing in price from $1/m3 to $0.5/m3. link
- H2 shipped as ammonia, 40 tons blue hydrogen from Saudi Arabia shipped to Japan in 2020 link
- Long-term contracts for H2 with Germany and Japan (link).
Saudi Arabia: water consumption:
80% fossil groundwater (mostly for irrigated agriculture)
10% from desalination
Wastewater reuse: projected 80% treated wastewater will be reused by 2030
Stormwater capture: projected few km3, 600 reservoirs, planning additional 1000 reservoirs
Projected increase in tourism: currently ~ 17.5 million international tourists projected increase to 100 million by 2030 (link)
To address net zero emissions, planting 10 billion trees (link)
Ecosystem concerns, coral reefs in Red Sea
Marine heat waves affecting ecosystems (Hamdeno et al., 2024)
34 million people, 30 million date palm trees (link)
KAUST *(King Abdullah University of Science and Technology), Thuwal, 1 hr from Jedda, new university 15 years old, graduate university, leading scientific institute from the Middle East, 120 nationalities
Three divisions: Biology, Environmental Science, and Computer Science
EVs, Lucid factory in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia moving towards a diversified economy, increasing resilience in water, energy, and food production.
