DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 11, 2025--
Professor Guihua Yu, a leading researcher from the United States, has been awarded the Innovative Individual Award (Distinguished Researcher category) during the fourth cycle of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award. The award recognises his groundbreaking work in developing soft materials and hydrogel-based systems for solar-powered water purification and atmospheric water harvesting.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250611992275/en/
Supervised by the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia UAE) under the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the USD 1 million global award honours exceptional innovations that address water scarcity through renewable energy and sustainable technologies.
Professor Yu, an academic at the University of Texas and Director of the Centre for NanoTech for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, has pioneered a suite of technologies that include high-efficiency solar desalination using floating “energy hydrogels,” atmospheric water harvesting through hygroscopic microgels and biodegradable nanocellulose-based hydrogel filters capable of removing ultrafine particles with record efficiency.
His soft-material systems have achieved significant breakthroughs as the solar-powered hydrogel desalination system boasts over 95% energy efficiency under natural sunlight while the atmospheric harvester passively collects water from the air and releases it when heated by the sun. His filter technology, which requires no electricity and can be operated manually or via applied weight, offers a simple, scalable and sustainable method of water purification.
With an H-index of approximately 190 and over 20 key patents in the water purification field, Professor Yu’s work is widely recognised by academic and global institutions. He actively engages with the international community through lectures, guest essays and panel discussions hosted by platforms such as the World Economic Forum, BBC, Bloomberg and National Geographic, advocating sustainable water solutions and freshwater scarcity.
“As the global population and economy grow and climate change accelerates, the demand for clean energy and clean water becomes increasingly urgent. Developing effective solutions for sustainable water management is one of today’s greatest challenges. I appreciate His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for establishing this visionary award. It is a noble initiative that raises global awareness about the importance of water solutions and helps make this vital resource accessible to communities around the world,” said Professor Yu.
Source:AETOSWire
US researcher Guihua Yu wins Global distinction for pioneering solar and hydrogel water technologies (Photo: AETOSWire)
US researcher Guihua Yu wins Global distinction for pioneering solar and hydrogel water technologies (Photo: AETOSWire)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Strikes across Ukraine, Russian-occupied territory and Russia killed at least 16 people, authorities said, as the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster prompted fresh warnings about the risks posed by attacks near the plant during Russia’s more than four-year invasion of its neighbor.
The death toll from Russian drone and missile strikes on the city of Dnipro rose to nine, regional head Oleksandr Hanzha said Sunday.
One man was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on the port city of Sevastopol, In Russian-occupied Crimea, Moscow-installed authorities said Sunday. Russia annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world considered illegal, and has used it as a staging and supply point during the war.
Leonid Pasechnik, the Russia-installed governor in Ukraine’s Luhansk region — of which Russia earlier this month said it had taken full control, a claim denied by Ukraine — said three people were killed in an overnight Ukrainian drone strike on a village, after reporting two people were killed in the early hours of Saturday.
Ukraine did not comment on either attack, which could not be independently verified by The Associated Press.
The latest strikes came after a woman was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Belgorod border region, according to local authorities.
Ukrainian forces also struck an oil refinery in Yaroslavl, deep inside Russian territory, Ukraine’s General Staff said Sunday. The strikes sparked fires at the facility, which processes 15 million tons of oil a year and produces gasoline, diesel and jet fuel for the Russian military. Russia did not immediately comment.
Ukraine has developed its own long-range drones, which can reach targets some 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) inside Russia. It has used them recently against Russian oil facilities as Moscow looks to boost its exports after the Trump administration gave it a temporary waiver from sanctions to ease supply constraints. Kyiv officials complain that Russia will use the additional revenue on new weapons to hit Ukraine harder.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy marked the anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster to warn that Russian attacks risk repeating history.
“Through its war, Russia is once again bringing the world to the brink of a man-made disaster — Russian-Iranian Shaheds regularly fly over the plant, and one of them struck the confinement last year,” he wrote on Facebook.
“The world must not allow this nuclear terrorism to continue, and the best way is to force Russia to stop its reckless attacks,” he said.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, echoed those concerns during a visit to Kyiv, saying repairs to the plant’s damaged outer protective shell must begin immediately. IAEA assessments show the damage sustained after a strike last year has already compromised a key safety function of the structure, he said, warning that years of inaction could heighten danger to the original sarcophagus beneath it. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development said repairs would require at least 500 million euros ($586 million).
Ukrainian officials say a Russian drone struck the outer shell of the plant’s New Safe Confinement structure — a $2.1 billion archlike enclosure completed in 2019 over the remains of Reactor No. 4 — in February 2025. Moscow denied targeting the plant, alleging Kyiv staged the attack.
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
A man lights a candle at a memorial dedicated to firefighters and workers who died after the 1986 Chornobyl (Chernobyl) nuclear disaster, ahead of its 40th anniversary in Slavutych, Ukraine, Saturday, April 25, 2026. Chornobyl is the Ukrainian name for the city. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)
Red flowers lie on a bas-relief of firefighter Georgy Popov atop of his grave at the Mitinskoye Cemetery where several victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster are buried, marking the 40th anniversary of the explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, outside Moscow, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Russian Emergency Ministry troops and veterans lay flowers at the graves of firefighters at the Mitinskoye Cemetery where several victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster are buried, marking the 40th anniversary of the explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, outside Moscow, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
People dressed in white protective suits hold candles during a memorial service dedicated to firefighters and workers who died after the 1986 Chornobyl (Chernobyl) nuclear disaster, ahead of its 40th anniversary in Slavutych, Ukraine, Saturday, April 25, 2026. Chornobyl is the Ukrainian name for the city. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)
A man looks at a memorial dedicated to firefighters and workers who died after the 1986 Chornobyl (Chernobyl) nuclear disaster, ahead of its 40th anniversary in Slavutych, Ukraine, Saturday, April 25, 2026. Chornobyl is the Ukrainian name for the city. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)
A man stands at a balcony of a residential building damaged by a Russian strike on Dnipro, Ukraine, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Mykola Synelnykov)
Rescue workers clear the rubble of a residential building destroyed by a Russian strike, in Dnipro, Ukraine, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Mykola Synelnykov)
A woman walks in a yard of a residential building damaged by a Russian strike on Dnipro, Ukraine, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Mykola Synelnykov)
A man covered in thermal blanket stands in a yard of a residential building damaged by a Russian strike on Dnipro, Ukraine, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Mykola Synelnykov)
