As water dries up in the region, many communities across Jordan are subject to water rationing. It is estimated that less than 200 cubic meters are available to each person per year—a number that the World Health Organization warns can harm human health and impede economic development.
Aquaporo is a Jordanian start-up that believes to have found a solution for the country’s water shortages. They developed a device that pushes air through nanomaterials—small pieces of plastic that contain microscopic grooves and shapes on their interior that act like strainers. Thus, water vapour is captured from the air and pollutants are filtering out to produce water that is purer than bottled water. Led by CEO Kyle Cordova and engineering director Husam Almassad, the company worked with a group of student trainees to develop an air conditioner-sized machine that can harvest up to 35 litres of water in 20% humidity in a single day.
In a study – published in Nature Communications last year – Cordova and Almassad discovered that the device achieved a 169% increase in water production while meeting national drinking standards. It works so well that the Jordanian government is the company’s first customer by placing an initial order of 1,000 units, to be provided for free to families across the country starting in January 2024.
