By Sammy Stein
I can still remember the day I read a report claiming it was possible to obtain drinking water from the air. I checked the date to make sure it was not April 1st. What delighted me even more was discovering that this remarkable achievement had been developed by an Israeli company.
When people think of Israeli innovation, they often think of cyber security, medical breakthroughs, agricultural advances or the country’s thriving start-up culture. Yet one of Israel’s most significant contributions to humanity concerns something far more fundamental: water.
For a nation located in one of the world’s driest regions, securing reliable freshwater supplies has never been a luxury. Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has faced environmental conditions that would have discouraged many countries. Much of the land is arid, rainfall is limited and freshwater resources are scarce. Water security has therefore been essential to the country’s survival.
Rather than accepting these limitations, Israel chose to innovate. This response to adversity has become one of the defining characteristics of the modern Israeli story. Time and again, challenges that might have constrained other nations have instead become catalysts for creativity and technological development. Scarcity has encouraged invention, necessity has driven experimentation and difficult circumstances have fostered a culture in which practical solutions are highly valued.
This mindset has helped transform Israel into one of the world’s most innovative countries. Despite its small size and lack of natural resources, Israel has earned a global reputation as the “Start-Up Nation.” Its universities, research institutions and technology sector have produced advances in fields ranging from medicine and computing to agriculture, renewable energy and artificial intelligence. Israeli innovators have repeatedly demonstrated an ability to identify pressing problems and develop solutions with applications far beyond the country’s borders.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of water technology.
Over the decades, Israeli scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs have transformed the country into a global leader in water management. From pioneering drip irrigation, which revolutionised agriculture worldwide, to becoming a leader in wastewater recycling and desalination, Israel has repeatedly shown how innovation can overcome environmental constraints.
Drip irrigation innovation alone has had a transformative impact. Developed in Israel to maximise agricultural productivity while conserving scarce water supplies, the technology is now used across the globe, helping farmers increase yields while reducing water consumption. Likewise, Israel’s advances in desalination have enabled a country once plagued by water shortages to become a recognised leader in sustainable water management.
Today, another Israeli breakthrough is attracting international attention. Developed by the Israeli company Watergen, Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs) can produce drinking water directly from the air.
At first glance, the concept sounds like science fiction. Yet the principle behind it is simple. The atmosphere contains vast quantities of water vapour. Watergen’s technology draws in air, filters out contaminants and cools it below its dew point. The resulting condensation is collected, purified, mineralised and made safe for human consumption.
Founded in Israel all the way back in 2009, Watergen has become a global leader in atmospheric water generation. Its systems range from small units for homes and offices to larger installations capable of producing thousands of litres of drinking water daily. The technology has been deployed in schools, hospitals, remote communities and disaster-relief operations across the world.
What makes Watergen particularly interesting is that it follows a familiar Israeli pattern. Rather than accepting a seemingly intractable problem, the company approached water scarcity as an engineering challenge capable of being solved through innovation. In many respects, this reflects the same thinking that drove Israel’s earlier successes in irrigation, desalination and water recycling.
The importance of such innovation becomes clear when viewed against a growing global water crisis. Billions of people experience water scarcity during at least part of the year. Population growth, urbanisation and climate change are placing increasing pressure on traditional water sources. Groundwater reserves are being depleted, droughts are becoming more frequent and rainfall patterns are growing less predictable mostly due to climate change.
Israel understands these challenges better than most countries. From its earliest years, the country’s leaders recognised that water security and national resilience were inseparable. This mindset encouraged investment in research, infrastructure and technological development that transformed Israel’s water sector.
Today, Israel recycles a higher percentage of its wastewater than any other country. Its desalination plants provide a substantial proportion of the nation’s drinking water. Israeli developed irrigation systems help farmers worldwide grow more food using less water. Expertise in leak detection, water management and conservation has become internationally recognised.
Atmospheric water generation represents the latest chapter in this story of innovation.
Unlike conventional water supplies, AWGs do not depend on rivers, reservoirs or underground aquifers. They require no extensive pipeline network. Instead, they utilise a resource available almost everywhere: atmospheric humidity. This makes them particularly valuable where traditional infrastructure is unavailable, damaged or unreliable.
The technology has proven especially useful during humanitarian emergencies. Following earthquakes, floods or hurricanes, water infrastructure is often among the first casualties. Portable atmospheric water generators can be transported into affected areas and begin producing drinking water without relying on existing systems.
Military organisations have also recognised the potential benefits. Generating water on-site reduces dependence on vulnerable supply lines and improves operational flexibility in remote environments.
But like any technology, AWGs have limitations. Their efficiency depends on humidity levels and energy is required to cool and process the air. Consequently, they are unlikely to replace conventional water systems in major cities. Instead, they should be viewed as part of a broader portfolio of solutions that strengthen water security and resilience.
However, what makes Watergen particularly noteworthy is not simply the technology itself but what it represents. It is another example of Israel applying scientific expertise, entrepreneurial creativity and practical problem-solving to challenges that affect people far beyond its borders.
Too often discussions about Israel focus exclusively on conflict and diplomacy. While important, these subjects can obscure the extraordinary contributions Israel continues to make in medicine, agriculture, environmental sustainability and humanitarian assistance. The reality is that many technologies developed in Israel are quietly improving lives every day, often without people realising where those innovations originated.
The development of atmospheric water generation is a powerful reminder that Israeli innovation is improving lives around the globe. Whether helping disaster-stricken communities, supporting remote villages or assisting nations preparing for a future shaped by climate uncertainty, Israeli technologies are providing solutions to some of humanity’s most pressing challenges.
For Israel, turning air into drinking water is simply the latest example of a familiar story. Faced with challenges many considered insurmountable, Israeli scientists and entrepreneurs have once again demonstrated how innovation can transform scarcity into opportunity. Watergen stands not as an isolated success but as part of a broader tradition that has characterised Israel since its founding by identifying difficult problems, investing in human ingenuity and developing practical solutions that benefit the wider world.
In an age when water security is becoming an increasingly important global concern, that tradition of innovation may prove more valuable than ever. Israel’s experience demonstrates that even the most daunting challenges can be addressed when scientific excellence, entrepreneurial spirit and determination are combined. Watergen’s ability to create drinking water from the air is an impressive technological achievement, but it is also something more significant. It is a symbol of the innovative culture that continues to make Israel a source of solutions for challenges that extend far beyond its own borders.
Sammy Stein is the Chair of Glasgow Friends of Israel
Illustration Gillis Mostaert – Moses strikes water from the rock from wikimedia commons
