This document discusses trends in global resource use and population growth between 2010-2050. It proposes rethinking resource extraction and production systems to create restorative growth through sustainable and integrated approaches. The Sahara Forest Project is presented as an example that builds greenhouses, cultivates crops, and generates clean energy in desert environments using seawater, with the goals of food production, carbon storage, clean energy exports, and job creation. Initial results from the pilot in Qatar showed lower water usage and higher yields than comparable greenhouses.

3. FARMLAND
FOREST
RURAL AREAS
PERMAFROST
DESERT
FRESHWATER
ICE
SALTWATER

4. FARMLAND

5. POPULATION
BN PEOPLE
ENERGY
CONSUMPTION
EJ
ENERGY
RELATED CO2
EMISSIONS
Gt CO2
DEMAND
FOR CEREAL
MT / YEAR
WATER
SCARCITY
BN AFFECTED
ARID AREAS
HA IN MILLIONS
MEGATRENDS 2010 - 2050
6.9 9.3 490 1000 30 57 2100 3000 0.7 4.1 2550 3125

6. TRENDS CAN BE TURNED
RETHINKING RESOURCE USE AND PRODUCTION SYSTEMS TO CREATE
RESTORATIVE GROWTH

7. EXTRACTIVE SUSTAINABLE RESTORATIVE
RETHINKING RESOURCES

8. TRADITIONAL INTEGRATED
RESOURCES PRODUCTION WASTE PRODUCT
RETHINKING PRODUCT SYSTEMS

9. RESTORATIVE GROWTH

10. Jens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister of Norway
“This is an example of the need for new and environmental friendly technologies to
contribute to both increase the global production of food, but at the same time reduce the
global emissions of greenhouse gasses.”
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar
“I think this will not be important only to Qatar, but to the whole region and elsewhere
where they have the same climate as Qatar. So, I have a lot of hope.”
Andris Piebalgs, EU Energy Commissioner
“The Sahara Forest Project appears to be a very interesting example of the more
integrated and holistic kind of thinking that we will need a lot more of in the future to make
our energy, water and industrial systems more sustainable.”
ENDORSEMENTS
Olav Kjørven, Assistant Secretary-General of UNDP
“This is a gold standard in a day and age where we have a hot and crowded planet, and
we need to move towards a low-carbon future fast.”

11. ATTENTION AND SUPPORT

12. SFP GREENHOUSE
SALTWATER AS THE BASIS FOR CULTIVATION OF TRADITIONAL
CROPS

13. SFP GREENHOUSE

14. REVEGETATION FACILITIES
IMPROVING GROWING CONDITIONS IN DESERT ENVIRONMENTS

15. SOLAR POWER

16. SYNERGIES

17. SALT PONDS ALGAE AND
MARICULTURE
PHOTOVOLTAICS DESALINATION
EXTENSIONS

18. By building SFP training
centers
For both high and low
skilled workers
By producing clean energy
and capturing CO2
Because resource security
is closely linked to stability
and peace
CREATING SOCIETAL BENEFITS
Knowledge Transfer Employment Fighting
climate change
Resource
accessibility

19. 355 HA
480 HA
150 HA
75 HA
640 HA 1500 HA
500 HA
300 HA
GREENHOUSE
FODDER CULTIVATION
REVEGETATION AREAS
CSP FACILITY
ALGAE CULTIVATION
HALOPHYTE CULTIVATION
EVAPORATIVE PONDS
INFRASTRUCTURE
SCENARIO: 4 000 HA

20. SCENARIO: 4 000 HA
RESTORATIVE FOODS
170 000 TON
TOMATOS / YEAR
PERMANENT CO2
STORAGE
50 000 TON / YEAR
CLEAN ENERGY
FOR EXPORT
300 GWH / YEAR
BIOFUEL
7.5 MIL. L / YEAR
EMPLOYMENT
OF 6000 PEOPLE AND
SUPPORT OF 30 000
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
IN THE MAGNITUDE OF
USD 1.5 – 2 BN

21. QATAR PILOT PLANT

22. QATAR PILOT PLANT

23. QATAR PILOT PLANT

33. FAO
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations:
“This case study (The Sahara Forest Project) illustrates how an integrated
food production facility grows high-quality and diverse food productions
in desert areas, minimizing energy and freshwater needs”
“The results of the nexus rapid appraisal show that this intervention
performs very well in the Qatar context”
“The intervention has an outstanding performance regarding water
(water is transformed into food very efficiently and the amount of
freshwater used is low) and employment aspects (few people are needed
to produce the energy needed and the vegetables); and water is
particularly under stress in the context of Qatar”.

34. RESULTS
Up to 15 degrees cooling in summer
Yields in pilot stage competitive with leading European greenhouse
operations
Water usage is half of comparable greenhouses in the region
Year-round production of high quality crops
Seawater-cooled greenhouse

35. RESULTS
Evaporative hedges provided up to 10 degrees mean temperature
reduction
Greenhouse and evaporative hedges provided wet-cooling efficiencies
without cooling towers for the Concentrated Solar Power facility
19 desert plants and vegetable and grain crops successfully cultivated
outdoors throughout the year
Hedges, CSP and outdoor vegetation

36. MATCHING YEARLY IMPORT TO QATAR
Cucumbers
8 hectares of greenhouse production
Cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and aubergines
60 hectares of greenhouse production

37. JORDAN

38. JORDAN CENTER

39. www.saharaforestproject.com
ENABLING
RESTORATIVE GROWTH