Solar-Energy Innovative and Sustainable Solution for Freshwater and Food Production for Lake Titicaca Islands

Abstract

Drought and scarcity of water resources require innovative and sustainable solutions to secure water availability for poor people. Choice of solar energy for desalination is a promising and sustainable cost-effective alternative for improving high quality water supply. Today, almost all Latin American countries use different desalination technologies except for Bolivia. Bolivia has an arid to semiarid climate and suffers from salinity problems especially the Altiplano area. Thus, there is a need to introduce innovative solution using latest technologies such solar desalination at locations with scarcity of freshwater. This study suggests implementing a small desalination plant of about 10 m3/day as a demonstration plant and then successively extending the capacity. As well, it is suggested to build a solar energy system with bigger capacity to cater not only for the desalination plant, but also the excess energy to be benefit for homes, roads lighting, and other important purposes for the local community to improve life standard of the people.