ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Fahad Al-Attiya - Food security expert
Fahad Al-Attiya's job is to maintain food security in Qatar, a country that has no water and imports 90 percent of its food.

Why you should listen

Fahad Bin Mohammed Al-Attiya has his work cut out for him: His home, Qatar, has found itself a newly oil-rich country with an economy growing at an average rate of 15 percent a year, with a rapidly expanding population. That burst in population has been accompanied by a huge surge in water consumption. So what's so strange about that? -- Qatar has virtually no water. In comparison to Brazil's annual 1782 mm of rain, Qatar's annual rainfall is 74 mm.

Al-Attiya is the Chairman of Qatar’s National Food Security Programme, and he is tasked with making food secure -- and keeping it that way -- in a place that has no water and imports 90 percent of its food. He hopes that his program's innovations in sustainable agriculture, especially in arid regions, can help other countries deal with dwindling food supplies due to extreme climate change.

More profile about the speaker
Fahad Al-Attiya | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxSummit

Fahad Al-Attiya: A country with no water

Fahad Al-Attiya : 一個缺乏水源的國家

Filmed:
1,529,461 views

想像一下,一個資源豐富的國家——擁有石油、天然氣、陽光、風(和金錢)——但缺少一項關鍵的生活必需品:水。土木工程師Fahad Al-Attiya 講述如何以意想不到的方式,為卡達這個中東小國創造水源。
- Food security expert
Fahad Al-Attiya's job is to maintain food security in Qatar, a country that has no water and imports 90 percent of its food. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:16
Salaam行額手禮 alaikumalaikum.
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願真主賜你們平安。
(阿拉伯問候語)
00:19
Welcome歡迎 to Doha多哈.
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歡迎來到杜哈。
00:21
I am in charge收費 of making製造 this country's food餐飲 secure安全.
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我負責保障本國的糧食供應。
00:24
That is my job工作 for the next下一個 two years年份,
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在未來兩年,我的工作是
00:26
to design設計 an entire整個 master plan計劃,
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設計一個總體計畫
00:28
and then for the next下一個 10 years年份 to implement實行 it --
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並於十年內執行本計劃-
00:32
of course課程, with so many許多 other people.
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當然,這需要眾人攜手合作。
00:34
But first, I need to talk to you about a story故事, which哪一個 is my story故事,
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首先我想告訴大家一個故事,這是我的故事,
00:39
about the story故事 of this country國家 that you're all here in today今天.
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有關你們此時所在的這個國家。
00:43
And of course課程, most of you have had three meals today今天,
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想必,大多數聽眾今天都已用過三餐。
00:46
and probably大概 will continue繼續 to have after this event事件.
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或許演講結束後還會繼續。
00:51
So going in, what was Qatar卡塔爾 in the 1940s?
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那麼想一下,1940年代時,卡達是什麼情形?
00:55
We were about 11,000 people living活的 here.
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當時本國大約有一萬一千名居民。
00:59
There was no water. There was no energy能源, no oil, no cars汽車, none沒有 of that.
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此處沒有水源、沒有能源、
沒有石油、沒有汽車,什麽都沒有
01:06
Most of the people who lived生活 here
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大多數居住於此的人
01:08
either lived生活 in coastal沿海 villages村莊, fishing釣魚,
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不是住在沿海村莊,以捕魚維生,
01:10
or were nomads游牧民族 who roamed漫遊 around with the environment環境 trying to find water.
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就是過著遊牧生活,四處尋找水源。
01:16
None沒有 of the glamour魅力 that you see today今天 existed存在.
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今日眾位所見的繁華在昨日並不存在。
01:20
No cities城市 like you see today今天 in Doha多哈 or Dubai迪拜 or Abu阿布 Dhabi阿布扎比 or Kuwait科威特 or Riyadh利雅得.
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亦無今日杜哈、杜拜、阿布達比、科威特或利雅德的繁華
01:25
It wasn't that they couldn't不能 develop發展 cities城市.
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這並非由於人們無能開發都市,
01:27
Resources資源 weren't there to develop發展 them.
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而是由於資源極度缺乏,無法開發。
01:29
And you can see that life expectancy期待 was also short.
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你們可以發現,那時的人壽命十分短暫。
01:32
Most people died死亡 around the age年齡 of 50.
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大多數人50歲左右就去世了。
01:34
So let's move移動 to chapter章節 two: the oil era時代.
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接著,我們進入第二章:石油時代。
01:38
1939, that's when they discovered發現 oil.
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1939年,人們發現了石油。
01:41
But unfortunately不幸, it wasn't really fully充分 exploited利用 commercially商業
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但不幸的是,大規模商業性質的石油開採
01:46
until直到 after the Second第二 World世界 War戰爭.
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到了二次世界大戰結束後才開始。
01:48
What did it do?
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石油造成什麼影響?
01:51
It changed the face面對 of this country國家, as you can see today今天 and witness見證.
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石油改變了本國的面貌,大家今日有目共睹。
01:54
It also made製作 all those people who roamed漫遊 around the desert沙漠 --
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石油也使得那些在沙漠中四處遷徙、
01:58
looking for water, looking for food餐飲,
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尋找水源和食物、費心照料牲口的牧民
02:01
trying to take care關心 of their livestock家畜 -- urbanize城市化.
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走向都市化。
02:05
You might威力 find this strange奇怪,
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你們或許感到奇怪,
02:07
but in my family家庭 we have different不同 accents口音.
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但我的家族成員都擁有不同口音。
02:11
My mother母親 has an accent口音 that is so different不同 to my father父親,
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我母親與父親的口音截然不同。
02:15
and we're all a population人口 of about 300,000 people in the same相同 country國家.
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而我們都是土生土長的30萬卡達居民之一。
02:20
There are about five or six accents口音 in this country國家 as I speak說話.
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我說話時就用到大約五、六種口音。
02:23
Someone有人 says, "How so? How could this happen發生?"
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有人質疑「為何如此?這是怎麼回事?」
02:27
Because we lived生活 scattered疏散.
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這是因為以往我們散居各處。
02:29
We couldn't不能 live生活 in a concentrated集中 way simply只是 because there was no resources資源.
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僅僅由於資源缺乏,因此我們無法群居生活。
02:34
And when the resources資源 came來了, be it oil,
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當資源-例如石油-出現後
02:38
we started開始 building建造 these fancy幻想 technologies技術
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我們開始發展這些先進技術
02:41
and bringing使 people together一起 because we needed需要 the concentration濃度.
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將人們聚集起來
因為我們需要群眾的力量。
02:45
People started開始 to get to know each other.
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人們開始彼此認識。
02:47
And we realized實現 that there are some differences分歧 in accents口音.
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我們才發現彼此擁有不同口音。
02:51
So that is the chapter章節 two: the oil era時代.
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這就是第二章:石油時代。
02:54
Let's look at today今天.
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我們談談如今的情況。
02:56
This is probably大概 the skyline天際線 that most of you know about Doha多哈.
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這或許是大多數人所知的杜哈天際線
03:01
So what's the population人口 today今天?
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如今的人口是多少?
03:02
It's 1.7 million百萬 people.
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大約170萬
03:04
That is in less than 60 years年份.
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這是在不到60年間所取得的成果。
03:07
The average平均 growth發展 of our economy經濟 is about 15 percent百分 for the past過去 five years年份.
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過去5年,本國經濟平均增長率大約為15%。
03:13
Lifespan壽命 has increased增加 to 78.
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平均壽命增加到78歲。
03:16
Water consumption消費 has increased增加 to 430 liters.
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平均用水量上升到430公升。
03:21
And this is amongst其中包括 the highest最高 worldwide全世界.
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可說是全球最高的用水量。
03:24
From having no water whatsoever任何
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從缺乏水源
03:26
to consuming消費 water to the highest最高 degree, higher更高 than any other nation國家.
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轉變成高度用水量,勝於世上任何國家。
03:32
I don't know if this was a reaction反應 to lack缺乏 of water.
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我不知道這是否是缺水造成的反效果。
03:35
But what is interesting有趣 about the story故事 that I've just said?
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但這個故事中令人感興趣之處為何?
03:42
The interesting有趣 part部分 is that we continue繼續 to grow增長
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令人感興趣的是過去5年中,每年經濟增長率
03:45
15 percent百分 every一切 year for the past過去 five years年份 without water.
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在缺乏水源的情況下,依然維持15%。
03:51
Now that is historic歷史性. It's never happened發生 before in history歷史.
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這具有歷史意義。可說是史無前例的。
03:56
Cities城市 were totally完全 wiped out because of the lack缺乏 of water.
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過去,城市由於缺乏水源而走向衰敗。
04:00
This is history歷史 being存在 made製作 in this region地區.
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這是本國于此地區所創造的歷史。
04:03
Not only cities城市 that we're building建造,
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我們建造的不僅僅是一座座的城市,
04:05
but cities城市 with dreams and people who are wishing希望 to be scientists科學家們, doctors醫生.
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而是一座座充滿夢想的城市,
在這裡人們期待成為科學家和醫生、
04:10
Build建立 a nice不錯 home, bring帶來 the architect建築師, design設計 my house.
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建造美麗的家園、請建築師設計自己房子。
04:13
These people are adamant堅決 that this is a livable適於居住的 space空間 when it wasn't.
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這些人的毅力使這片不宜居住的土地改頭換面。
04:19
But of course課程, with the use of technology技術.
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當然,這必須藉助科技的力量。
04:21
So Brazil巴西 has 1,782 millimeters毫米 per year of precipitation沉澱 of rain.
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巴西擁有每年1782毫米的降雨量。
04:28
Qatar卡塔爾 has 74, and we have that growth發展 rate.
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而卡達僅有74毫米,但我們達到這一經濟增長率。
04:31
The question is how.
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問題在於如何做到這一點。
04:33
How could we survive生存 that?
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我們如何在這種情況下生存?
04:36
We have no water whatsoever任何.
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我們依然缺乏水源。
04:38
Simply只是 because of this gigantic巨大, mammoth長毛象 machine called desalination海水淡化.
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僅僅由於這座龐大的名為海水淡化裝置的機器。
04:44
Energy能源 is the key factor因子 here. It changed everything.
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能源是其中的關鍵因素,它改變了一切。
04:48
It is that thing that we pump out of the ground地面, we burn燒傷 tons of,
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正是我們從地底抽出、大量使用的石油
04:53
probably大概 most of you used it coming未來 to Doha多哈.
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或許大部分聽眾正是藉其前來杜哈。
04:56
So that is our lake, if you can see it.
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因此這就相當於我們的湖泊,如果你能想像。
04:59
That is our river.
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相當於我們的河流。
05:01
That is how you all happen發生 to use and enjoy請享用 water.
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這正是大家有水可用的原因。
05:06
This is the best最好 technology技術 that this region地區 could ever have: desalination海水淡化.
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這是本國有史以來最偉大的科技:海水淡化裝置
05:13
So what are the risks風險?
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那麼,其中有何風險?
05:15
Do you worry擔心 much?
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你會不會很擔心?
05:16
I would say, perhaps也許 if you look at the global全球 facts事實,
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我的看法是,如果觀察全球情況,
05:20
you will realize實現, of course課程 I have to worry擔心.
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你們將意識到我不得不憂心
05:23
There is growing生長 demand需求, growing生長 population人口.
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人口與各項需求與日俱增
05:25
We've我們已經 turned轉身 seven billion十億 only a few少數 months個月 ago.
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僅在數月前,全球人口達到了70億。
05:29
And so that number also demands需要 food餐飲.
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隨之而來的是對糧食的需求。
05:32
And there's predictions預測 that we'll be nine billion十億 by 2050.
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根據預測,到了2050年,全球人口將達90億。
05:35
So a country國家 that has no water
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因此一個缺乏水源的國家
05:38
has to worry擔心 about what happens發生 beyond its borders國界.
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不得不擔憂國境以外的情況。
05:42
There's also changing改變 diets飲食.
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飲食結構亦發生變化。
05:44
By elevating提升 to a higher更高 socio-economic社會經濟 level水平,
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隨著社會經濟水平的逐漸提高,
05:48
they also change更改 their diet飲食.
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人們的飲食習慣亦發生改變。
05:50
They start開始 eating more meat and so on and so forth向前.
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例如說,人們開始消耗更多肉類等等。
05:53
On the other hand, there is declining下降 yields產量
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但另一方面,因為氣候變化和其它因素,
05:56
because of climate氣候 change更改 and because of other factors因素.
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糧食產量逐漸減少。
05:59
And so someone有人 has to really realize實現 when the crisis危機 is going to happen發生.
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因此人們必須確實意識到即將發生的危機。
06:04
This is the situation情況 in Qatar卡塔爾, for those who don't know.
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有些人可能不知情,可是卡達的情況是
06:07
We only have two days of water reserve保留.
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我們僅擁有兩天的淡水儲備量,
06:11
We import進口 90 percent百分 of our food餐飲,
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國內 90% 的糧食都是仰賴進口,
06:13
and we only cultivate培育 less than one percent百分 of our land土地.
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全國的耕地面積不到國土的 1%。
06:17
The limited有限 number of farmers農民 that we have
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為數不多的農民
06:19
have been pushed out of their farming農業 practices做法
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已由於市場開放政策及引進的外來競爭等因素
06:23
as a result結果 of open打開 market市場 policy政策 and bringing使 the big competitions比賽, etc等等., etc等等.
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被擠出農業行業。
06:28
So we also face面對 risks風險.
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因此我們亦面臨某些風險。
06:32
These risks風險 directly affect影響 the sustainability可持續性 of this nation國家 and its continuity連續性.
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這些風險直接影響國家的永續發展。
06:39
The question is, is there a solution?
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問題是,是否存在解決這些風險的方案?
06:41
Is there a sustainable可持續發展 solution?
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是否存在一個永續的解決方案?
06:43
Indeed確實 there is.
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這確實存在。
06:45
This slide滑動 sums總和 up thousands數千 of pages網頁 of technical技術 documents文件
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這張投影片總結了數千頁科技文獻,
06:50
that we've我們已經 been working加工 on over the past過去 two years年份.
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這是我們過去兩年的研究成果。
06:52
Let's start開始 with the water.
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我們從水源談起。
06:54
So we know very well -- I showed顯示 you earlier -- that we need this energy能源.
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現在大家十分清楚,如之前所言,我們需要能源。
06:57
So if we're going to need energy能源, what sort分類 of energy能源?
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如果我們需要能源,該使用何種能源?
07:00
A depletable耗竭 energy能源? Fossil化石 fuel汽油?
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耗竭性能源?化石燃料?
07:03
Or should we use something else其他?
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或者我們該採取其他選擇?
07:05
Do we have the comparative比較 advantage優點 to use another另一個 sort分類 of energy能源?
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我們使用另一類能源的話,能否取得相對優勢?
07:09
I guess猜測 most of you by now realize實現 that we do: 300 days of sun太陽.
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我想大多數聽眾已意識到,我們的確具有相對優勢:
每年300天的日照
07:13
And so we will use that renewable可再生 energy能源 to produce生產 the water that we need.
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因此我們將使用這種可再生能源,製造我們極需的淡水。
07:18
And we will probably大概 put 1,800 megawatts兆瓦 of solar太陽能 systems系統
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我們會使用1800兆瓦的太陽能系統
07:23
to produce生產 3.5 million百萬 cubic立方體 meters of water.
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生產350萬立方公尺淡水。
07:26
And that is a lot of water.
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水產量十分龐大。
07:28
That water will go then to the farmers農民,
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這些水將供給農民,
07:30
and the farmers農民 will be able能夠 to water their plants植物,
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那麼農民就能用水灌溉作物,
07:33
and they will be able能夠 then to supply供應 society社會 with food餐飲.
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也可為社會提供糧食。
07:37
But in order訂購 to sustain支持 the horizontal line --
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但為了支撐這一橫軸線的計畫—
07:39
because these are the projects項目, these are the systems系統 that we will deliver交付 --
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因為這是我們預定設置的項目和系統-
07:42
we need to also develop發展 the vertical垂直 line:
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縱軸線上,我們也需要發展
07:45
system系統 sustenance營養, high-level高水平 education教育, research研究 and development發展,
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支撐系統:高等教育、研究開發、
07:50
industries行業, technologies技術, to produce生產 these technologies技術 for application應用, and finally最後 markets市場.
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工業、科技等,用以發展應用技術,最後是市場行銷。
07:55
But what gels凝膠 all of it, what enables使 it, is legislation立法, policies政策, regulations法規.
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但能使之持之以恆,須建立法律、政策和規章。
08:01
Without沒有 it we can't do anything.
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若沒有這些,一切都是空談。
08:03
So that's what we are planning規劃 to do.
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這就是我們的計畫。
08:05
Within two years年份 we should hopefully希望 be doneDONE with this plan計劃
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我們希望於兩年內完成這一計畫,
08:09
and taking服用 it to implementation履行.
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實施這一計劃。
08:11
Our objective目的 is to be a millennium千年 city, just like many許多 millennium千年 cities城市 around:
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我們的目標是成為屹立千年的城市,
如同周遭眾多歷史悠久的城市:
08:17
Istanbul伊斯坦布爾, Rome羅馬, London倫敦, Paris巴黎, Damascus大馬士革, Cairo開羅.
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伊斯坦堡、羅馬、倫敦、巴黎、大馬士革、開羅。
08:24
We are only 60 years年份 old, but we want to live生活 forever永遠
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我國僅擁有60年歷史
但我們希望成為屹立不倒的城市,
08:28
as a city, to live生活 in peace和平.
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生活在和平世界。
08:33
Thank you very much.
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十分感謝。
08:35
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by illusion Hung
Reviewed by Xingyi Ouyang 歐陽杏儀

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Fahad Al-Attiya - Food security expert
Fahad Al-Attiya's job is to maintain food security in Qatar, a country that has no water and imports 90 percent of its food.

Why you should listen

Fahad Bin Mohammed Al-Attiya has his work cut out for him: His home, Qatar, has found itself a newly oil-rich country with an economy growing at an average rate of 15 percent a year, with a rapidly expanding population. That burst in population has been accompanied by a huge surge in water consumption. So what's so strange about that? -- Qatar has virtually no water. In comparison to Brazil's annual 1782 mm of rain, Qatar's annual rainfall is 74 mm.

Al-Attiya is the Chairman of Qatar’s National Food Security Programme, and he is tasked with making food secure -- and keeping it that way -- in a place that has no water and imports 90 percent of its food. He hopes that his program's innovations in sustainable agriculture, especially in arid regions, can help other countries deal with dwindling food supplies due to extreme climate change.

More profile about the speaker
Fahad Al-Attiya | Speaker | TED.com