One of the biggest challenges that many remote and impoverished communities face is access to food and water. Fog nets, in some places, have become the solution to both of those problems. Strung up across hillsides, these nets collect water for crops and people in places like Peru, Morocco, Bolivia, Columbia, Mexico and the South African Kalahari Desert, among others. 

The Nets

Fog nets are made out of a dense mesh material and put in the air between two poles. They collect the microscopic water droplets that are in fog and condense them. They drip down the net and are siphoned into pipes, which all usually congregate into one large container for all of the nets in an area. Depending on the climate and net type, each fog net can catch up to 400 liters of fresh water per day. 

Some nets are less durable than others, and there has been some struggle to find affordable and durable nets. Many have used nets made of grocery packaging, but they break easily in extreme weather and do not collect as much water as more expensive ones. However, there is academic work being done to increase the strength and productivity of fog nets. A net called the Kirigami fog net is a perfect balance between affordable and strong, and produces optimal water from low-hanging fog. 

The Communities

Different communities are able to use this water for different purposes. Many use it for crops and animals. In Lima, Peru, which has dry land but high fog coverage, these nets are used for people who live on the outskirts of the city, who would otherwise need water driven to them in trucks. However, the water that they are able to get from the nets is not fit for human consumption, as Lima is one of the capitals of pollution. Because of that, Lima is one of the cities that uses fog nets to water their crops, but does not drink it. With only slightly over half of Peru’s population having access to clean drinking water as of 2018, this new way of collecting water for crops frees up resources to transport more potable water to communities that need it.

In Morocco, a remote Amazigh community has begun using fog nets. At first, the women were wary of this new method. As it was the women’s responsibility in this community to collect and watch over the water and its distribution, it seemed like the water coming from fog nets might take away some of their power. They also feared that it would eliminate time that was essential to the young Amazigh girls; time for women to talk about ways of life, and teach each other. Despite their misgivings, the wells were far away and drying up. Now, though, they are able to take advantage of their extra time, and they still have the power over water distribution and taking care of the nets. The nets have empowered local women, and the water can now be used in schools and agriculture.

These fog nets are used extensively for drinking water and agriculture, producing many crops in areas across the world that would otherwise be devoid of fruit. One in four people in the world does not have access to clean drinking water, but these nets could help to change that for many communities. In a time when potable water is becoming harder to come by, and weather is becoming more extreme, this adaptation is a hopeful sign for many.

– Ren Pratt
Photo: Unsplash