As with many sustainable innovations, the scope of AWG potential is not determined by the technology alone, but scaling AWG will depend significantly on strategically connecting it with larger systems of governance, community, and environmental management

Byline: Navkaran Singh Bagga, CEO & Founder, AKVO

Water is life, but safe drinking water is constantly a global challenge. In a world defined by innovation and technological advances, pressures on freshwater resources are intensifying with rapid urbanization, climate change, and unsustainable consumption. Atmosphere Water Generation (AWG) technology is developing as an innovative potential solution to these pressures by producing clean drinking water using moisture from the air.

As with many sustainable innovations, the scope of AWG potential is not determined by the technology alone. Scaling AWG will depend significantly on strategically connecting it with larger systems of governance, community, and environmental management. Scaling AWG requires more than machines, it needs partnerships, enabling policies, and an innovative ecosystem that can bring clean water affordability, accessibility, and sustainability to all.

Why AWG is Important Now
Traditional water sources (rivers, lakes, groundwater aquifers) are already under unprecedented pressure. The United Nations estimates that by 2030 demand for freshwater will exceed supply by almost 40 per cent. Increasing irregularity of rainfall patterns, contamination of water bodies, and excessive extraction of groundwater create additional challenges.

AWG can decentralise imports and provide sustainable solutions because it draws from an always re-freshable component of our planet’s water cycle—the atmosphere. It is this ability to draw from and capture sustainable water sources that is crucial: cooperative AWG based solutions can pro-vide reliable and sustainable sources of safe water to established urban and remote off-grid communities without compromising existing ecosystems.

Despite the significant potential, the objective must be to ensure that these technologies do not become yet another alternative niche and only used by a few wealthy communities but that they become part of the mainstream considerations of sustainable water management.

The Role of Partnerships In Scaling AWG
It will take more than a technology provider, government or civil society organization to close the water gap globally. Partnerships are the pivot on which large-scale uptake rests. Governments can increase uptake by embedding AWG technology into already established public water supply frameworks, especially in water-stressed areas. If governments collaborate with innovators, together they can embed AWG within integrated solutions for schools, hospitals, rural communities, disaster-prone areas, as well as other underrepresented users. Partnerships can further decrease costs by combining capital investment and economies of scale.

Many companies have sustainability goals and ambitions ranging from sustainable development, net-zero emissions, and impact investing and water neutrality. Technology partnerships provide companies with the opportunity to supplement their water use sustainably while improving the community’s resilience in the surrounding area. Lawful compliance with sustainability initiatives creates community goodwill, while also permitting larger companies to embed sustainability into their operating practices in a deeper way.

Non-profits are often the last mile connection for people to receive access. They have a community connection and understanding of local needs, so they are great partners to implement and scale AWG solutions in areas of significant need. When they implement an awareness program, they can combine that with infrastructure to an extent where adoption has both meaning and impact.

Working with universities and research organizations can help to advance the state of AWG technology towards more sustainable and energy efficient use. In addition, collaboration with academic partners can create the data for policy makers to understand specific long-term viability and environmental implications.

Partnerships create the environment for AWG to transform from a valuable technology into a key technology.

Policy Pathways for Accessibility
While partnerships create opportunities, policy frameworks are the true enablers for scale – supportive policies can take AWG from a niche innovation to a fundamental aspect of national water security strategies. Governments could offer the same subsidies or tax credits, in critical areas for AWG deployments, like those provided for solar energy systems. The availability of incentives drives uptake and provides cost relief to consumers.

Currently, national and state water policies do not see AWG as a safe and reliable source of drinking water, and reference to AWG should be engrained in national and state water policies. Our recommendations for policy would also include standards, quality indicators, and certifications to provide guidelines that build trust and remove uncertainty for providers and users of AWG. Purpose built finance mechanisms, like green bonds and sustainability funds could be consequences of AWG being engrained into the water management polices as a funding mechanism to scale AWG projects. If governments choose to fund regions of higher need (for example; regions facing water instabilities like drought), it would also enable equal distribution of funding amongst competition.

AWG should be part of national disaster plans or emergency preparedness strategies, especially for areas at risk of floods, droughts, or cyclones. AWG allows for water supply when traditional infrastructure to process water is not available, making it invaluable to preparedness capacity. Since AWG utilizes electricity, bridging it into the same policies as renewable energy ensures affordability and sustainability. Hybrid AWG systems driven by solar or wind power means that the AWG deployment is aligned with climate goals.

Such policies would not only reduce the threshold to participation but also maximize AWG’s status and credibility as a legitimate and responsible player in national and global commitments on behalf of national or global commitments, like the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Accessibility Beyond Infrastructure
Accessibility encompasses more than installing machines: it’s about making sure communities can actually use them and benefit from them. This means: Affordability Models: innovative business models such as pay per use, community sharing, micro-financing etc. can help distribute costs across users. Capacity Building: training local communities to operate and maintain AWG systems makes sure the systems are sustainable beyond the initial install. Awareness Campaigns: developing awareness, and education on the safety and reliability of AWG water develop trust and encourage uptake. All of these softer aspects that are often overlooked, are still important in ensuring technology leads to real value.

Responsibility for Clean Water
Scaling AWG is not only about today’s water crisis; it is about creating a future where every community, regardless of location or economic development, has access to safe and sustainable drinking water. This future cannot be created through isolated actions; it requires governments to prioritise water innovation, business to practice water stewardship, civil society to drive inclusivity, and technology providers to innovate with efficiency and affordability.

When partnerships and policy work together, the results can be levered/outstanding. AWG has the power to fill a gap in current water supplies, lessen the burden on beleaguered ecosystems, and promote climate resilient communities.

Conclusion
The scaling up of AWG technology is not just a technological endeavor but a socio-political one. AWG requires linking and merging complex and disparate strands of partnership, policy and people. Through linking people and policies we can truly capitalize the world’s atmosphere as a source of life, and ultimately democratize clean water as a right rather than a privilege.

In the end, sustainability is not about standalone solutions, it is about interconnected systems. AWG is just one of those systems that, if we can cultivate with the right partnerships and afford the support of enabling policies, can help the world take a leap from water scarcity to water security for all.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication.