New applications of radar tool could help reduce water scarcity

GOTT has funded the British Antarctic Survey's new application of their radar tool to reduce water scarcity by locating and monitoring sources of groundwater.

Some of the poorest communities do not have access to fresh drinking water, this is also known as ‘water stress’.

The communities with the highest levels of water stress are found throughout Africa, the Middle East, and India. In these regions the effective management of water resources is limited due to its scarcity.

Scientists at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have been exploring new applications for a tool that was initially developed, in collaboration with University College London, to measure the rate at which ice shelves melt in polar regions.

Funding awarded by Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT) is now being used by BAS to trial the technology in regions experiencing water stress to find and monitor underground water source, as well as helping to manage the water more sustainably.

The tool offers a more cost-effective and easier-to-operate way of measuring ground water compared with existing methods, as the team working on the project is developing it in response to user needs.

BAS were awarded £99,782 in the ‘Expand’ band of the Knowledge Assets Grant Fund in December 2023.

GOTT provided grant funding to the project.

Beatrix Schlarb-Ridley, Director of Innovation and Impact at British Antarctic Survey said the following about the support from GOTT: