I have a story taking place in a vast desert. There are however a few large and highly advanced cities within this desert with running water and electricity and I was wondering if this would be possible given the environment. What sources of water and where would they be (ex. underground). I have no idea about sources of electricity.
They would need to be able to produce their own food since it is difficult for them to import from elsewhere.
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Water: A desert is really just a lake with the lake bed on top. A desert still has underground aquifers along the water table, just like any non-desert areas. The only reason a desert is dry is because it doesn't rain, meaning that the water table is lower and the area above the water table is rarely saturated with water. So, to get water all the cities need to do is settle in an area where the water table is relatively close to the surface, such as near an oasis or river, and/or dig a lot of wells deep enough to reach the water table.
Electricity: Also surprisingly easy in a desert. If these cities are advanced enough, then they can put the scorching sun to good use with solar panels. Since there are no pesky trees in the way, wind is also plentiful in deserts. Windmills have been used since at least the ancient Greeks to perform work, and could be a reliable source of electricity. If the cities happen to be near a large, Nile-like river, hydroelectric dams could be yet another option. And, as always, there's oil.
For electricity, sources are plentiful. There may be large deposits of fossil fuels, like oil and gas, sunshine is likely plentiful, allowing for cheap solar energy, and winds can be strong, at least at times.
For water, situation is more difficult. If the location has strong and replenishing underground source, then your cities can use it without problem. If that source is not replenishing, desert city will run into trouble after a while. A city can stand on a seashore and use desalination. Or you can build pipelines and aqueducts to supply water from other regions. Finally, there is condensation. Particularly if your source of energy is natural gas, you can capture water vapor and use it as water. However, as a main source of water condensation is pretty weak. In a dry area, you can not provide a sizable city with water using condensation alone.
