Video

Agriculture in the Sahara Desert is collapsing

Governments in North Africa are investing billions to turn parts of the Sahara Desert into agricultural land. Projects in Egypt, Algeria, and Sudan promise to increase food production and reduce dependence on imports.

But this model faces a physical limit.

Much of this agriculture relies on extracting fossil water from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System, one of the largest underground water reserves on Earth.

This water accumulated over thousands of years and does not naturally replenish.

When it is pumped for irrigation in the desert, the aquifer’s volume permanently declines.

Intensive irrigation in arid regions also accelerates another problem: soil salinization. Evaporation leaves salts on the surface, degrades the land, and requires even more water to keep crops productive.

The result is a simple cycle:

more irrigation → more salt in the soil → more water required → aquifers depleting faster.

Even so, large agricultural projects continue to expand into the desert, often focused on monocultures and export production.

Interested in the topic?

Watch the full video to understand how the largest fossil aquifer on the planet works, why countries are expanding agriculture in the Sahara, and what the physical limits of this model really are.

Disclaimer: The video is in Brazilian Portuguese, but simultaneous translation and subtitles are available in multiple languages.

UGREEN

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During Consumer Month, you can secure access to the UGREEN Pass for ONLY US$197!

With more than 25 complete courses with certification, totaling over 400 hours of classes, you gain the opportunity to learn how to incorporate sustainability into your projects.

This way, you become prepared to value projects properly, apply sustainability with clear criteria, and make decisions that create real impact.

Topics available within the ecosystem include energy efficiency, lighting, sustainable materials, sustainable interiors, biophilic design, efficient water use, and more.

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Expo Revestir 2026

UGREEN at Expo Revestir 2026: technical curation in partnership with Saint-Gobain

The Expo Revestir 2026, held at the São Paulo Expo, once again brought together some of the leading names in architecture, design, and construction across Latin America. Considered the largest finishes and coatings trade fair in the region, the event serves as a showcase for product launches, technologies, and trends that directly influence the building sector.

Representing UGREEN, co-founding partner Sami Meira attended the fair to lead activities developed through a partnership with Saint-Gobain. Throughout the program, Sami was responsible for executing the technical initiatives at the company’s booth, connecting visitors and industry professionals to discussions about material performance, innovation, and the practical application of solutions within the real context of construction.

Saint-Gobain, a French multinational with more than three centuries of history and a global reference in construction solutions, has played a central role in the development of materials focused on efficiency, comfort, and environmental performance. The company’s presence at Expo Revestir 2026 reinforces its position as one of the main drivers of technological progress in the sector.

Within this context, the partnership with UGREEN was established to transform the Saint-Gobain booth into a hub for technical content during the event. The initiative included talks and technical tours led by the co-founder, featuring analysis of the showcased solutions and discussions about performance, innovation, and real-world material applications.

The collaboration between the two organizations reinforces a shared objective: to elevate the technical level of discussions around materials and sustainability in the built environment, connecting industry professionals with qualified information and solutions that can be effectively applied in real projects.

News

Global water crisis accelerates industrial water reuse

Water security has moved to the center of the global economic agenda. According to the UN World Water Development Report, global water demand could increase between 20% and 30% by 2050. Today, around 80% of the world’s wastewater is still discharged without treatment or reuse.

Climate change is intensifying the challenge. Meteorological data indicate that extreme precipitation has been increasing by about 2.3% per decade, while the number of days with temperatures above 35°C has grown by 1.2% per decade, intensifying both flooding events and rapid-onset droughts.

At the same time, new digital infrastructures are increasing water consumption. Data centers used for artificial intelligence require large volumes of water for cooling.

In Brazil, for example, a study published by Brasscom in August 2025 reported that the sector’s water consumption reached 45.71 billion liters in 2025, with projections rising to 85.61 billion liters by 2030.

Another study conducted in 2025 by the Ecolab Watermark Study found that 40% of Brazilians already associate artificial intelligence with increasing water scarcity.

In response to this scenario, the adoption of industrial symbiosis is expanding. In this model, treated wastewater from one company becomes a resource for another. Experiences in Kalundborg, Kawasaki, and Singapore, through the NEWater, demonstrate that reuse can reduce pressure on water sources while generating economic gains.

According to analyses by industrial organizations and multilateral institutions, the global expansion of reuse systems could generate billions in investment in water infrastructure, while also reducing operational costs and increasing the climate resilience of production chains.

This trend reflects a structural shift: wastewater is no longer treated as waste, but as a strategic resource for industry and the circular economy.