Desert Fog Nets Catch 10,000 Liters Of Water Daily

Summary

In the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, fog nets provide a sustainable solution to the water crisis in Lima, Peru. With nearly 2 million people lacking access to clean drinking water, the Creating Water Foundation has set up 60 fog-catchers that collect moisture from frequent fog. These nets provide 500 families with 10,000 liters of water daily, also supporting local organic farms. The system operates without energy, relying solely on natural forces like wind and gravity, offering a passive, eco-friendly solution to water scarcity.

Takeaways

• 😀 Fog-catchers or fog nets are being used to provide clean drinking water to impoverished families in the outskirts of Lima, Peru, located in the Atacama Desert.
• 😀 The Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on Earth, and part of it lies in southern Peru, including areas south of the Ica Region.
• 😀 Nearly 2 million people in Lima lack access to safe drinking water, relying on costly and unreliable trucked water deliveries.
• 😀 The Creating Water Foundation, a Dutch non-profit, has launched a project that has installed 60 fog nets to provide 10,000 liters of safe drinking water for almost 500 families.
• 😀 The fog nets also support local fog-farms, which produce organic food sustainably.
• 😀 Fog farming relies on frequent fog, wind speed, direction, and the material of the mesh to collect water.
• 😀 The polypropylene mesh nets capture tiny water droplets from fog, ideal for arid coastal regions with high fog density.
• 😀 The nets are strategically placed on hilltops, with storage tanks positioned in valleys, using gravity to transport collected water.
• 😀 Once fog passes through the nets, water droplets merge and move into tubes, eventually being stored in tanks for local use.
• 😀 Fog farming is a passive solution, requiring no energy aside from the filtering process, and fully depends on natural elements like wind, condensation, and gravity.

Q & A

What are fog-catchers and how do they work?

Fog-catchers, also known as fog nets, are made of polypropylene mesh that captures tiny water droplets from fog. These droplets merge to form larger droplets that flow down the nets, into tubes, and are collected in storage tanks. The collected water is used for drinking and growing food sustainably.

Why is the Atacama Desert considered one of the driest places on Earth?

The Atacama Desert, located in southern Peru, is one of the driest places on Earth due to its extreme aridity. It receives very little rainfall, with some areas experiencing years of drought, making it a challenging environment for human habitation.

How many families in Lima, Peru, lack access to safe drinking water?

In Lima, approximately one out of every five families, or nearly 2 million people, do not have access to safe drinking water, forcing them to rely on costly and often unreliable water delivered by trucks.

What is the role of the Creating Water Foundation in this project?

The Creating Water Foundation, a Dutch non-profit, launched the fog-catching project in southern Peru. The foundation set up 60 fog nets to provide clean drinking water for nearly 500 families and help sustain local fog-farming initiatives.

What factors are critical for the success of fog farming technology?

Key factors for successful fog farming include the density of fog, wind speed and direction, and the material of the mesh. These factors influence the efficiency of water collection and ensure the viability of fog-catching systems.

What environmental benefits does the fog-catching project offer?

The fog-catching project reduces the CO2 footprint of water delivery systems that rely on trucks. It also provides a passive solution to water scarcity, requiring no energy beyond the natural forces of wind and condensation.

How does the fog net system use gravity to transport water?

The fog nets are strategically placed on hilltops, with storage tanks located in valleys below. Gravity helps move the collected water from the nets into the tubes and eventually to the storage tanks for use by the local communities.

What is the significance of fog farming in this project?

Fog farming plays a crucial role by allowing local communities to grow organic food using the water collected by the fog nets. This sustainable farming method helps improve food security in a region with limited access to fresh water.

How much water can the fog nets provide to local families?

The 60 fog nets set up by the Creating Water Foundation are providing almost 500 families with access to 10,000 liters of clean drinking water, significantly improving their living conditions and health.

Why is this fog-catching project considered a 'passive solution'?

The fog-catching project is considered a 'passive solution' because it does not require any external energy sources. It relies entirely on natural forces like fog, wind, and gravity to collect and transport water.