Gulf Construction Online - Dake Rechsand looks to greening the desert

Manufacturers & Procurement

Dake ... construction needs to incorporate water conservation at greater speed.

Dake Rechsand looks to greening the desert

01 December 2020

With water scarcity being at the root of many challenges that the Middle East faces, Dubai-based Dake Rechsand says its breakthrough sand technology can create a new water source for the region as well as transform deserts into lush tropical forests and organic farms, by harvesting and storing rainwater.

The Dubai-based company offers sustainable solutions in water conservation. Its innovative and transformative breathable sand technology utilises low-value desert aeolian sand, to create a constantly evolving portfolio of high-value products. The solutions are used in water purification, desert farming, water harvesting, construction, sand casting, sand oil and more.

Speaking to Gulf Construction, Dake Rechsand’s CEO and Founder Chandra Dake says sustainable construction in the Middle East has strong correlation with water conservation.

“Every region has specific challenges to sustainable development. In the Middle East, acute water scarcity is a focal point, particularly within the context of the built environment — from construction to routine operations.

“As an industry with a significant social, economic and environmental footprint, construction needs to incorporate water conservation at greater speed and scale. If accomplished, we are potentially looking at macroscopic outcomes on several fronts, including long-term food security.”

So how can water conservation be achieved at scale, both from an economic standpoint and overall feasibility?

Dake explains: “Water conservation is about efficient use of available water, as much as it is about harnessing natural resources like rainwater. But conservation does not connote compromises. We need economically-viable solutions that can complement urban landscaping and other value-based construction activities. This is where sand technology finds application.

“At Dake Rechsand, we call it breathable, ‘magic sand’. In essence, it is fine desert sand coated with special technology, to induce water retention and air permeability properties. Using ‘magic sand’, you can develop large swathes of greenery with 75 per cent less water use, compared to conventional urban landscaping. We designed this solution bearing in mind affordability and scalability. It is deployable from individual properties to clusters, despite geographical and climatic deterrents.”

Apart from its use in landscaping, the solution can be used for paving to harvest rainwater.

Dake says the company extrapolated the breathability and water-retention properties of ‘magic sand’, to develop its proprietary IDER range of products such as tiles and kerbstones. These sand-based products can be used for paving on construction sites and other common areas, to build networks of decentralised micro-reservoirs. In practice, these products enable efficient absorption and collection of rainwater from surface runoffs, for construction use, and eventually, for day-to-day community use.

“Rain that might otherwise cause clogging and flooding, especially after the ongoing cloud-seeding initiatives, now results in a new source of potable water – one that is fit for consumption, availed economically and sustainably,” he emphasises.

And unlike expensive, centralised rainwater harvesting systems, these are actionable in areas across the socio-economic spectrum. Dake Rechsand’s solution also helps preserve the freshness of water for up to seven years, without chemical intervention or electricity-dependent aeration, he says.

Dake Rechsand launched ‘magic sand’ in the GCC region last August and the market response has been highly encouraging, according to Dake.

“We originally expanded to the Middle East knowing our solutions can address some of the pressing issues in the region and, as expected, the market has responded enthusiastically. We are currently relying on our primary manufacturing facility in China. But the overwhelming response to our sand technology and affiliated solutions in the Middle East has encouraged us to nearshore the supply chain and localise the production in the UAE. The production facility in the UAE is currently in the planning stage, and will be launched soon,” he says.

Dake Rechsand’s ‘magic sand’ caters to individuals who are practising desert farming and water-stressed agriculture across the Gulf. It is currently engaged in an ambitious plan to enable farming and greenery for at least 10,000 acres across the UAE or for half a million trees by H1, 2021.

“In the regional context, the Al Ajban farm in Abu Dhabi, where salinity of the water is very high, is a great example of a large-scale commercial deployment that has already produced outstanding results,” Dake elaborates. “Homes in Dubai, which have adopted this breakthrough technology, are boasting lush tropical greenery, even during peak summer months. We see a huge potential for regional adoption led by government departments, smart city planners, water conservation and sustainability initiatives, agri-businesses, as well as landscapers and home gardens”.

Dake indicates that the company is in the midst of ongoing discussions with several government entities across the Middle East, for large-scale deployment of its solutions in public infrastructure and smart cities development.

“Since sustainability is the cornerstone of smart cities, project leaders are showing great interest in integrating our rainwater harvesting and urban landscaping solutions right from the early design stages. Such implementation adds value from the get-go, and sets the project up for long-term sustainable water management,” he concludes.

Dake Rechsand is a collaboration between South Africa’s Dake Group and the Rechsand Technology Group from Beijing, China. Its global presence currently extends to the US, the UAE, India, China and South Africa.