LIMA, Peru — A new initiative in Peru is working to increase access to water. Peruvians Without Water, a local grassroots organization, is running the up and coming movement. While the organization’s noble goal is nothing we haven’t seen before, their unique means of water attainment relies on a somewhat unusual strategy — fog catching.
Frequently described as an ‘ocean in the sky’, coastal Peru experiences six to eight months of daily fog. Through the strategic placement of giant mesh sheets in particular areas, up to 400,000 liters of fresh water per day could potentially be collected. This is finally giving poor families without access to water some hope.
Although there has been a recently renewed interest in fog catchers, they have been around for a longer time than most would think. German NGOs were the first to install these devices fourteen years ago. Since then, in arid environments like the Patagonia and Africa, these tools have helped provide water to citizens in need.
Typically, fog collectors are comprised of rectangular sails of Raschel mesh—a shade cloth often used in plant nurseries. The mesh sails are supported between two vertical poles. When wind pushes fog through the collectors, the mesh sheets are able to accumulate droplets.
Over time, the water droplets then begin to fall into a metal trough. At the end of the trough is a collection bottle. By the end of the process, large volumes of water have been stored in the collection bottles—ready to be utilized for irrigation, personal purposes, and a variety of other applications.
This process literally creates water out of thin air. Michael Karbeling, Regional Programs Desk Officer of Peru, Paraguay, and South America, explains the relative achievability and efficiency of the process. Regardless of how one puts up the mesh—as a roof or as a pile on top of plastic, condensation will bring results.
In Peru specifically, Peruvians Without Water has been working with fog catchers in neighborhoods throughout Lima for many years. However, it was only able to secure funding for a larger project in the Los Tunales area about three years ago.
The funding, which came in the form of a grant for $21,233 from the USAID Peru Development Assistance Fund Program, paid for the installation of approximately twenty fog catchers. The installation provided access to clean, usable water for seventy-five families.
Looking ahead, Karbeling explains that the longer-term use of these devices is “expected to produce data revealing efficiency and cost-effectiveness for us in future planning and expansion.” For example, experimenting with different shapes and employing double or triple mesh could help achieve maximum efficiency.
Karbeling stressed that USAID believes that fog catching systems are a “worthwhile investment.” He says that the organization would be happy to see other groups provide more fog catchers for low-income families in need, and urges the general public to take on more research in support of the cause.
Although fog catching is unlikely to solve all of Peru’s water issues, it is a great place to start. In terms of access to water across the globe, the unique strategy will obviously only be of use in especially foggy environments.
One thing is for certain—the innovativeness behind this strategy is something can serve as a greater inspiration for us all. As global citizens continue to cope with the consequences of poverty, no hypothesized solution is too lofty far-fetched. We must rise to the creative standard set by fog catchers worldwide.
– Sarah Bernard
Sources: Water World, Santa Cruz Sentinel
Photo: Earthducation