Dake Rechsand Highlights upto 80 Percent Water Savings with Breathable Sand Technology, at Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week

Dake Rechsand, a Dubai-based company offering sustainable solutions in water conservation and desert farming, highlighted the unique capabilities of its innovative and award-winning breathable sand technology, at the virtual Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture (GFIA) event, held from 21^st to 25^th November, as part of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week.

Chandra Dake, CEO and Founder of Dake Rechsand

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week honoured innovators and creative solutions, in the agriculture and food security space, and conducted a series of seminars, lectures, and workshops; including the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Conference, organized in partnership with the World Food Security Forum, and the Global Sustainable Agriculture Awards Ceremony.

As part of the virtual event, Chandra Dake, CEO and Founder of Dake Rechsand showcased a presentation on "Impactful desert landscape using Rechsand range" where he talked about transforming deserts into arable land in the UAE, with the help of his company’s breathable sand. A one-time application of this technology results in upto 80 percent water savings, compared to conventional methods. Dake Rechsand’s breathable sand has unique water retention properties, combined with air permeability, which can massively empower the sustainability and ease of landscaping, in residential and commercial projects, within the UAE.

Speaking at the event, Chandra Dake highlighted the transformative opportunity these innovative technologies represent. “The UAE is at the forefront of innovation, sustainability and technology”, Chandra noted. “At Dake Rechsand, we understand that food and water security are one of the most important aspects of sustainability. Hence, one of our primary goals for this year is to plant 200,000 trees, and follow up with another two million trees by 2022. Showcasing the magic breathable sand technology at Innovation Programme Open Theatre, GFIA, is a great opportunity to build new collaborations, and expand the application of this technology, all across the UAE."

The breathable sand, or ‘magic sand’ as Chandra likes to call it, can also be used to collect rainwater that falls on any surface - including roads, streets, paved areas, offices, schools, parking spaces, and even playgrounds - to create a decentralized rainwater harvesting network, which can result in an untapped new source of potable water, for the UAE. Dake Rechsand has leveraged this technology to create its patented ‘Honey Comb’ water harvesting system, which allows water to be stored for up to seven years - keeping it fresh and free of algae, with zero chemical use and absolutely no energy input.

Dake Rechsand has demonstrated the huge potential of its technology, with the outstanding results it achieved at Al Ajban farms, Abu Dhabi - a facility that has great historic significance to the UAE’s national food security. The high dependence that Al Ajban farms had on desalination plants, for irrigation, led to it having a high carbon footprint. Addressing this unsustainable dependence was the motivation to experiment with the application of Dake Rechsand’s ‘magic sand’; and the resulting project allowed Al Ajban farms to grow abundant and high quality pulses, beans, tomatoes, chilies, mangoes and lemons; all while using little to no fertilizers, and reducing water usage by 70 to 80 percent, on average.

The breathable sand technology has already turned more than 2,000 square kilometers of the world’s most arid and hot deserts in China, into lush green cover. Within the UAE, the Ministry of Education has promoted the application of breathable sand in multiple schools; while the Ras Al Khaimah Municipality has agreed to plant 1,000 trees using the technology, in the first phase of a project it is undertaking. Dake Rechsand is also the technology and implementation partner, for tree plantation drives launched by Jabel Ali Resorts and Nakheel.

Apart from his showcase presentation, Chandra Dake also moderated a panel discussion on ‘Deep Dive: Smart Water Use in Food Production’, held on 23rd November at the Food Security Symposium Main Theatre, GFIA.

Dake Rechsand was an exhibitor at Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week. To know more about breathable sand, please visit www.dakerechsand.com.