Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42117940›Full record

ReviewNanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Nanotechnology for Drought Mitigation and Water Conservation: Opportunities and Limitations.

Hassan El-Ramady, Daniella Sári, Tamer Elsakhawy, Neama Abdalla, Howaida I Abd-Alla, József Prokisch

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Hassan El-RamadySoil and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh 33516, Egypt.ORCID 0000-0002-1113-726X
Daniella SáriNanofood Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, University of Debrecen, 138 Boszormenyi Street, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
Tamer ElsakhawyMicrobiology Department, Soil, Water and Environment Research Institute, Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Agriculture Research Center, Kafr El-Sheikh 33717, Egypt.
Neama AbdallaPlant Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Centre, 33 El Buhouth St., Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt.ORCID 0000-0003-3847-1281
Howaida I Abd-AllaChemistry of Natural Compounds Department, Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Research Institute, National Research Centre, 33 El Buhouth St., Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt.
József ProkischNanofood Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, University of Debrecen, 138 Boszormenyi Street, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.ORCID 0000-0002-1989-0600

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Water scarcity is becoming an increasingly critical global challenge, driven by climate change, rapid population growth, pollution, and unsustainable water use. Drought further intensifies this crisis by reducing water availability across agricultural, environmental, and socio-economic systems. In this context, nanotechnology has emerged as a promising tool for improving water management and enhancing drought resilience. This review examines the role of nanotechnology in drought mitigation and water conservation through multiple pathways, including the enhancement of plant drought tolerance, improvement in soil water retention, the development of smart irrigation and nano-sensing systems, and the expansion of water resources through purification, desalination, and wastewater reuse. In addition, the broader drought-water nexus is discussed to position nano-enabled approaches within existing water management strategies. While numerous studies report improvements in water-use efficiency, stress tolerance, and treatment performance under controlled conditions, significant limitations remain. These include concerns related to environmental safety, nanotoxicity, scalability, cost, and the gap between laboratory findings and field-level applications. Overall, nanotechnology should be considered a complementary approach rather than a stand-alone solution for addressing water scarcity under drought conditions. Future research should focus on long-term environmental impacts, techno-economic feasibility, and large-scale field validation to support the safe and effective integration of nanotechnology into sustainable water management systems.

Indexed as

abiotic stressbiotic stressnano-biotechnologynano-mitigationwater scarcity

Identifiers

PMID42117940
PMCPMC13165324

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.