AS Spain faces the uncertainty of another drought season, an unusual idea is attracting attention: powdered water.
It may sound like science fiction, but the technology has been around for more than a decade.
Developed by Mexican engineer Sergio Jesus Rico Velasco, the creation promises to dramatically reduce the amount of water needed to grow crops – something Spain’s parched countryside is desperately crying out for.
Rico Velasco, an engineer from Mexico’s National Polytechnic Institute, invented what he calls ‘Solid Rain’, a biodegradable polymer that absorbs rainwater and stores it in the soil as a gel.
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Buried near plant roots, it slowly releases moisture as crops need it, keeping them hydrated for weeks without additional irrigation.
The idea was born almost by accident. While attending an industrial exhibition, Rico Velasco found himself without access to water while demonstrating an absorbent polymer.
When it began to rain, he collected the water in buckets and used the polymer instead – discovering that the material could work perfectly with rainwater.
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The science behind it is relatively simple. The polymer can absorb up to 200 times its own weight in water, with just 10 grams capable of retaining a full litre.
Once hydrated, a gel is formed that can store moisture for up to 40 days.
When the water runs out, it dries up and becomes ready to repeat the process with the next rainfall. It’s a cycle that can last between eight and ten years.
According to Rico Velasco, just 25 kilos of the product per hectare can cut water use by 90% and reduce production costs by as much as 80%.
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It also improves the need for expensive irrigation infrastructure in many cases, making it particularly appealing for rural areas.
The idea first gained international attention in 2013, when it was featured by the BBC as a potential solution for farming and arid regions.
At the time it was seen as innovative but niche. Today, with climate change accelerating and droughts becoming longer and more severe, it suddenly feels far more relevant.
Spain is currently one of the EU’s hardest-hit countries. The European Drought Observation Map indicates that the country is still dealing with water issues, displaying a red alert across regions like Castilla y Leon and Extremadura.
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Catalonia was under a drought emergency in 2024, Andalucia has faced years of persistent dryness, and farmers across the country are being forced to abandon crops or drastically cut production.
While powdered water is no miracle cure for climate change, it could become a valuable tool in helping Spanish agriculture adapt to a hotter, drier future – where every drop of water counts.
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