(18d) The Investigation of Industrial Crop Production in Arid Regions

Arid regions cover 35% of the land area in the world and is known by water scarcity, high temperatures, low vegetation and high salinity soil (Tchakerian, 2015). This extreme environment make any agriculture activity difficult. Moreover, arid regions tend to use desalination for water production and rely on synthetic fertilizer for soil enhancement, which creates intense industrial power and chemical production that result in large carbon dioxide footprint. This work explores the synergy between industrial waste resources such as wastewater, bio-sludge to assess the possibility of crop production. The focus is on industrial non-food crops that are typically used in the manufacturing industry, such as cotton, rubber, etc. Industrial crops give flexibility to use industrial byproducts and can aid land reclamation. This work falls under the circular economy by creating integration to eliminate waste and create value added products.

Tchakerian, V.P., 2015, Hydrology, Floods and Droughts-Deserts and Desertification, Encyclopedia of Atmospheric Sciences, 184-192. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-382225-3.00035-9