Pakistani man wins award for global water crisis solution in UAE

ISLAMABAD: Dr Muhammad Wakil Shahzad, a Pakistani national, has won the Innovative Individual Award and Youth Award category in the second edition of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award.

His project, ''24/7 Solar Desalination'' is a hybrid desalination cycle that combines the adsorption (AD) cycle with conventional multi-effect distillation (MED) system to overcome the operational limitations of MED.

Hybrid MEDAD cycle water production is 2-3 times higher than conventional MED. The technology uses solar energy or wasted thermal energy.

Two industrial pilot-scale projects have been implemented at National University of Singapore and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia, Khaleej Times reported.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, presented the awards at a ceremony held at Madinat Jumeirah.

Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE and Ghulam Dastgir, Ambassador of Pakistan to the UAE were also present at the event.

The Ambassador of Pakistan congratulated Dr Muhammad Wakil Shahzad on winning an Innovative Individual Award at the second edition of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award.

He said his innovative project ''24/7 Solar Desalination'' is an important contribution to water resource management system.

He said the project of Dr Shahzad will encourage the communities to employ improved and efficient water solutions.