MEA June 2017

MEAMARKETS / JUNE 2017 9 , The rapid depletion of natural resources and exacerbation of environmental issues following large-scale industrialization is intensifying the need for advanced environ- ment and sustainability (E&S) technologies. One of the biggest concerns around the world is the scarcity of fresh water. Nearly a fifth of the globe’s population lives in areas of water scarcity, and some of these countries are poised for significant economic and population growth. This, along with the effects of climate change, will intensify the water stress, especially in emerg- ing nations and arid regions in the Middle East. In response, E&S technology developers in countries like Israel are setting up solar desalination plants with in- novative membrane technologies to generate thousands of gallons of fresh water. Top Technologies in Environment and Sustainability, 2017 is part of Frost & Sullivan’s Clean & Green Environment Growth Partnership Subscription. The study offers in- depth strategic analyses of the top 10 E&S technologies: precision agriculture, off-grid desalination, wastewater membrane filtration, wastewater nutrient recovery, ze- ro-liquid discharge, micro irriga- tion, waste-to-energy, advanced oxidation processes, produced water remediation, and carbon capture as well as utilisation and storage. As these technologies are highly labor intensive, they also influence the socioeconom- ic status of the people in urban, semi-urban and rural areas. “Wastewater treatment technol- ogies, waste-to-energy systems, and wastewater nutrient recovery plants are widening the scope of innovation for technology provid- ers. For instance, nutrient recov- ery from wastewater will boost the sale of fertilisers, which may, in turn, establish a steady revenue stream for wastewater treatment plant operators,” observed Frost & Sullivan TechVision research analyst, Sharath Thirumalai. “Similarly, E&S stakeholders are promoting the use of precision agriculture and micro irrigation techniques to generate econom- ic and environmental benefits for technology adopters.” Futuristic farm management tech- nologies like micro and drip irriga- tion systems will greatly bolster the agriculture industry in devel- oping countries. The implementa- tion of the cash-and-carry model will allow companies to partici- pate all along the agricultural val- ue chain, so they can provide in- puts to farmers on micro irrigation solutions, seeds, saplings and skillset development. “E&S innovators are enhancing the efficiency of advanced oxida- tion processes and wastewater treatment technologies by em- ploying a combination of equip- ment that can reduce the number of processes in each technology,” noted Frost & Sullivan TechVi- sion research analyst, Shrinivas Chandrakant Tukdeo. “They are also striving to develop systems that lower the energy consump- tion in all technologies and, there- by, be more economically and environmentally viable.” However, high CAPEX and OPEX of top technologies like advanced oxidation processes and waste- water membrane filtration, and the general lack of end-user aware- ness, will restrain their adoption rates, even in urban areas. These issues can be mitigated by pub- lic-private partnerships between governments and non-govern- mental organizations of develop- ing countries to educate end us- ers in rural and semi-urban areas about the importance of the tech- nologies in creating a sustainable environment. Besides, with more innovations, there will be a substantial reduc- tion in the CAPEX and OPEX of E&S technologies. In the future, R&D of brine management and other wastewater resource recov- ery solutions will be given more importance so that complete commercialisation of these tech- nologies will be possible, even in developing nations. www.frost.com