The UAE, one of the top 10 most water-scarce and arid countries in the world, is at serious risk of droughts over the next 25 years due to its climate, but one company in the United Arab Emirates has come up with what should be a great if bizarre solution to the problem. The UAE is one of the most arid countries and one of the top 10 most water-scarce in the world, at severe risk of droughts over the next 25 years.

An Abu-Dhabi based eco-firm plans to haul icebergs from Antarctica to the gulf coast to provide drinking water for the state’s citizens. According to the firm, harvesting the billions of gallons of water from just one iceberg could provide enough for one million people over five years.

The National Advisor Bureau, headquartered in Masdar City, Abu-Dhabi, plans to source the massive icebergs from Heard Island, situated approximately one thousand kilometres off the coast of mainland Antarctica and tow them around 8,800 km to Fujairah, one of the seven emirates which make up the UAE.

Once the icebergs arrive at a specially constructed processing facility, the icebergs will be mined by workers; blocks of ice will be chipped off and placed in giant tanks, before being filtered and processed. It is estimated that an average iceberg contains in excess of 20 billion gallons of water, which is sufficient to provide enough water for one million people over five years.

The scheme is expected to start in early 2018. According to reports in Gulf News, the firm has already travelled the transportation route and used simulators to check the feasibility of the scheme.

Speaking to the site about what he is calling the UAE Iceberg Project, Abdullah Mohammad Sulaiman Al Shehi said: “Our simulator predicts that it will take up to one year [to tow an iceberg to UAE]. We have formulated the technical and financial plan. Towing is the best method. We will start the project in beginning of 2018. We want it mainly for the water. It could also be good for tourism and the weather.”

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