Smart Water Solutions

Hakim El Fadil

Weekly discussions on the latest in water science, technology, and investment. Hosted by Abdelhakim El Fadil , an industrial expert with a decade of expertise at Dow Chemical, DuPont, KU Leuven, and Aquadviser, specialising in membrane technologies for advanced water solutions.

  1. 08/07/2025

    #114 - Prof. Ranil Wickramasinghe

    In this episode, Hakim and cohost Rhea Verbeke talk with Prof. Ranil Wickramasinghe, a membrane expert who takes us from blood oxygenators to advanced water and biotech applications. We explore why polymer membranes still lead, how catalytic ceramic membranes turn vegetable oil into linoleic acid for green products, and the real-world hurdles like fouling and carbon pricing. Curious how membranes can react, separate, and still clog like a throat mid-sentence? Tune in. 🌱🧪

    56 min

  2. 05/29/2025

    #113 - Brian Sheng: Aquaria

    Brian Sheng, CEO of Aquaria, explains how their system captures clean water from air using a fast, energy-efficient setup. We cover how it works, where it performs best, and how clients can adopt it with flexible financing.

    44 min

  3. 03/27/2025

    #112 - Prof. Robert Nicholls

    Professor Robert Nicholls from the University of East Anglia explains how sea levels are rising due to ocean warming, melting glaciers, and ice sheet loss. He also highlights how human activities like groundwater extraction cause land to sink in many coastal cities. Even if emissions stop today, sea levels will keep rising for centuries. This episode covers the causes, local impacts, and adaptation strategies.

    52 min

  4. 03/13/2025

    #111 - Prof. Sera L. Young

    Professor Sera Young explains that water security depends on availability, accessibility, quality, and reliability. A household may have water, but if access is restricted, unsafe, or unreliable, they still face water insecurity. To measure this, she developed the Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) and Individual Water Insecurity Experiences (IWISE) scales, now used in over 50 countries. Her research highlights why measuring water insecurity is key to solving it.

    53 min

  5. 02/27/2025

    #110 - Prof. Marc Bierkens

    Professor Bierkens explains his work on water safety. He uses mathematical models with satellite and socioeconomic data to track water movement and storage in soil and groundwater. He shows that while overall water will be enough, some areas may face short-term shortages or quality issues. He also notes that climate change, through changes in rainfall and sea levels, affects water availability and quality.

    51 min

  6. 02/13/2025

    #109 - Prof. Heidi Richards

    Professor Heidi Richards shares her journey from biochemistry to membrane research, tackling wastewater treatment and acid mine drainage (AMD) in South Africa. She reveals promising results from testing membrane distillation on highly saline AMD, achieving near-complete sulfate removal and detecting lithium in the brine concentrate. This discovery could push the mining industry to rethink AMD treatment—not just for compliance. ;)

    1h 1m

  7. 01/30/2025

    #108 - Ramón Rubio de Castro: The Water MBA

    Ramón Rubio de Castro, founder of The Water MBA, explains how his platform helps water professionals gain practical knowledge. He shares how it offers structured content on desalination, wastewater treatment, and project management, making learning accessible and clear. He also highlights the importance of understanding the real strengths and limitations of water technologies beyond marketing claims.

    43 min

  8. 01/16/2025

    #107 - Prof. João Crespo

    Professor João Crespo explains how placing energy where it matters in membrane separation, such as at the surface instead of the bulk, can significantly improve filtration by reducing mass transfer limitations and combating concentration polarization. He shares insights into the challenges of turning ideas into real products, drawing from his spin-off company that recovers bioactive compounds from olive oil waste. He emphasizes that success requires more than technology—it depends on making products practical, market-ready, and accepted. For instance, he suggests a future where fresh water from desalination becomes waste, and the real value lies in extracting minerals from brine, like magnesium, which is widely used in batteries, fertilizers, and lightweight materials for cars and planes.

    58 min
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About

Weekly discussions on the latest in water science, technology, and investment. Hosted by Abdelhakim El Fadil , an industrial expert with a decade of expertise at Dow Chemical, DuPont, KU Leuven, and Aquadviser, specialising in membrane technologies for advanced water solutions.

Information

  • Creator
    Hakim El Fadil
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    114
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Hakim El Fadil
  • Show Website
    Smart Water Solutions