Water technology from Ningxia comes to World Cup

Besides the T-shirts, toys and trophies at the Qatar World Cup, which opened on Sunday, less visible Chinese elements include irrigation and grass maintenance technology from Ningxia University.

Unlike the spray and drip watering methods, the irrigation technology deployed at this year's World Cup soccer pitch utilizes wind and solar power to lift and transfer the water underground, and uses the internet of things to realize smart control of watering.

The more precise technology — developed by Ningxia University in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region over the past decade — reduces the water waste that accompanies traditional irrigation.

In August 2020, the university reached a cooperation agreement with the Qatari government on the technology, which has more than 30 patents in China.

Under the agreement, researchers from the university would cooperate with Qatar on projects covering food, environmental protection and water-efficient afforestation and agriculture.

In recent years, Ningxia has expanded its cooperation with Arab countries in water-saving technology. For instance, the university established two research labs dedicated to water-saving irrigation technology in Oman and Egypt.