Blog Post 1 - Ted Talk: Fahad Al-Attiya: A country with no water

     I decided to listen to Fahad Al-Attiya because the subject matter sounded really interesting. When I did listen to him, I found out about the fascinating history and present of the country of Qatar. The challenges that the people of Qatar had to overcome were ones that were taboo here in America. Citizens of the country were forced to scatter because resources (including water) were so little and scarce. They couldn't develop, they couldn't urbanize. Most people died around the age of 50. It wasn't until 1939 when the struck oil and began a breakthrough. Years later, the economic growth of the economy is 15%, life expectancy reached 78, and water consumption is among the highest in the world. This change occured in less than 60 years. The country has used technology greatly by adopting a desalination machine.This, of course, is how the country gets its water. This machine, however, is only a temporary fix. Al-Attiya, along with other engineers, are working on a machine that will produce 3.5 million cubic millimeters of water a year. And this is very possible if the machine runs on a renewble source. What resource could that be, you ask? You see, Qatar has an advantage: they get 300 days of sun.Using the sun as a renwable energy source will greatly benefit the country. This will potentially lead to more farming, which will supply the country with its own food. And this will lead to a reduction in the percenatge of imported food. Fahad hopes to have the plan implemented in two years.
     When I saw this, I was so inspired by how this country gathered together and brought together its resources. The country urbanized and developed, not just because of the resources (although that is part of it), but also because of the will of its people. The country is 60 years old, and has a lot of potential. Fahad said that he his will for Doha (Qatar's largest city) was for it to become a millennium city, like Rome or Paris. I think this is possible simply because of how fast the economy is going and the determination of Fahad and other engineers with the same goal.

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