A scientist has found a way to extract water from the air

Nobel Prize winner in chemistry Omar Yaghi has developed a technology for producing water from air. It could be a lifesaver for island nations in the event of hurricanes and droughts, a scientist told The Guardian.

The invention is based on reticular chemistry, a method of creating molecularly engineered materials that can extract moisture from the air even in arid and desert conditions. The technology is being developed by Atoco, a company founded by Yagi.

The installation, about the size of a six-meter shipping container, runs on low-grade thermal energy and can produce up to a thousand liters of clean water per day. They can be placed directly in populated areas, providing autonomous water supply in case of interruptions in electricity and water due to drought or destruction after storms.

Yaghi, who will receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2025, believes the technology has the potential to make a difference in the Caribbean, where islands regularly suffer from droughts. It could help countries provide water to isolated communities after hurricanes such as Beryl and Melissa left thousands of people without access to water, he said.

In the Caribbean nation of Grenada, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Beryl in 2024, Atoco's technology is being considered as a possible solution for the islands of Carriacou and Petit Martinique. Carriacou administration official and environmentalist Davon Baker told reporters that off-grid operation of the plants is especially important in a region where centralized systems are vulnerable during storms.

Yaghi said the idea for the development had a lot to do with his childhood in Jordan, where he lived in conditions of scarcity of water and electricity. Speaking at the Nobel Prize ceremony, he called on world leaders to support science and international cooperation to solve climate and environmental problems.