Research History and Functional Systems of Fog Water Harvesting

Water is among the top five global risks in terms of impacts translated through socio-economic and environmental challenges, influencing people's wellbeing. The situation is grim in water-scarce countries, which need to think and act beyond conventional water resources and tap unconventional water supplies to narrow the gap between water demand and supply. Among unconventional water resources, water embedded in fog is increasingly seen as a source of potable water in dry areas where fog is intense and prevalent. Although a low maintenance option and a green technology to supply freshwater, the potential to collect water from air through fog harvesting is by far under-explored. Based on the comprehensive analysis of fog water collection's research history since 1980, this study reveals that recent years have witnessed a sharp increase in research related to technological developments in fog collection systems. Also, there is an increased focus on associated policy and institutional aspects, economics, environmental dimensions, capacity building, community participation, and gender mainstreaming. In addition to research, fog water collection practice has also increased over time with emerging examples worldwide, notably from Canary Islands, Chile, Colombia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Israel, Morocco, Namibia, Oman, Peru, and South Africa. The functional systems of fog water collection demonstrate community engagement, women empowerment, enhanced capacity and training, and active participation of local institutions as the key drivers for effective fog collection systems to provide a sustainable supply of freshwater to the associated communities.

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Gender and Community Mainstreaming in Fog Water Collection Systems

Water ◽

10.3390/w10101472 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1472 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kayla Lucier ◽

Manzoor Qadir

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Water Shortages ◽

Fog Water ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Social Burden ◽

Water Collection ◽

Primary Water ◽

Women And Girls ◽

Water Scarce ◽

Fog Water Collection

Fog water collection is an emerging opportunity to combat local water shortages in water-scarce areas where sustainable access to water is unreliable, but fog events are frequent. Since fog water systems are implemented within or near communities, they eliminate or decrease the need to travel far distances for the collection of water during times of scarcity. As a result, these systems decrease the physical and social burden of water collection on women and girls, who are the primary water gatherers in most traditional communities. This is an important outcome because women and girls are disproportionately affected by water scarcity and are not seen as equals in water management, access, or control. This paper illustrates how several fog water collection projects have shown, empirically, that the positive outcomes for women and girls may include the freeing of time for domestic and educational pursuits, improved health outcomes, and improved perceptions of self and others’ perceptions of women. These findings are important at a time when the world at large is addressing the Sustainable Development Agenda, where Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 necessitates safe water and sanitation for all and SDG 5 ensures gender equality to empower all women and girls.

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Electrostatic fog water collection

Journal of Electrostatics ◽

10.1016/j.elstat.2018.10.009 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 96 ◽

pp. 128-133 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Diego Cruzat ◽

Carlos Jerez-Hanckes

Keyword(s):

Fog Water ◽

Water Collection ◽

Fog Water Collection

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Assessment of fog-water collection on the eastern escarpment of Eritrea

Water International ◽

10.1080/02508060.2017.1393714 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 42 (8) ◽

pp. 1022-1036 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mussie Fessehaye ◽

Sabah A. Abdul-Wahab ◽

Michael J. Savage ◽

Thomas Kohler ◽

Tseggai Gherezghiher ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fog Water ◽

Water Collection ◽

Fog Water Collection

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Towards sustainable utilisation of water resources: a comprehensive analysis of Ghana's National Water Policy

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2017.114 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 377-389 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Isaac Monney ◽

Kafui Ocloo

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Policy Development ◽

Water Policy ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

Gender Mainstreaming ◽

Sea Waves ◽

Water Sector ◽

Water Scarce ◽

National Water

In the years ahead, meeting the challenges of food security in a water scarce world will require drastic changes in the way water resources are managed. Accordingly, Ghana's water sector has seen tremendous changes over the years culminating in the 2007 National Water Policy. This paper evaluates the policy to highlight its strengths and weaknesses, to inform possible future review and guide new policy development in developing countries or troubleshoot existing policies. It draws on a framework based on three thematic areas distilled from global water policy development guidelines. Using a 3-point Likert scale, sub-thematic components are ranked and used to quantitatively compute the theme-specific scores (TSS) and the overall performance (OP) of the policy. Per the study findings, cross-cutting water policy issues including integrated water resources management, climate change adaptation and gender mainstreaming are more highlighted (TSS = 67%) than country-specific water management issues (TSS = 50%). Specifically, the policy neglects key national issues including protection of coastal regions from the onslaught of sea waves, and water resource protection against oil spills, and its institutional framework for implementation excludes key sector institutions. Generally, the policy addresses most pertinent issues in the water sector (OP = 64%) and areas for improvement are further discussed in the paper.

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Fog Water Collection for Agriculture Use (Peanut Irrigation) Under Semi- Arid Region Conditions in North Coast of Egypt

Advances in Crop Science and Technology ◽

10.4172/2329-8863.1000219 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 04 (03) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Makled KHM ◽

Abou El Enin MM

Keyword(s):

Arid Region ◽

North Coast ◽

Fog Water ◽

Water Collection ◽

Semi Arid Region ◽

Fog Water Collection ◽

Semi Arid

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A facile strategy for the fabrication of a bioinspired hydrophilic–superhydrophobic patterned surface for highly efficient fog-harvesting

Journal of Materials Chemistry A ◽

10.1039/c5ta04930j ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3 (37) ◽

pp. 18963-18969 ◽

Cited By ~ 89

Author(s):

Yuchao Wang ◽

Lianbin Zhang ◽

Jinbo Wu ◽

Mohamed Nejib Hedhili ◽

Peng Wang

Keyword(s):

Fog Water ◽

Patterned Surface ◽

Highly Efficient ◽

Hydrophobically Modified ◽

Flat Sheet ◽

Water Collection ◽

Thermal Pressing ◽

Fog Water Collection

The simple lab oven-based thermal pressing of a hydrophilic polystyrene (PS) flat sheet together with a (super)hydrophobically modified metal-based gauze produces a hydrophilic–superhydrophobic patterned surface which exhibits a high fog water collection performance.

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Fog Water Collection in a Subtropical Elfin Laurel Forest of the Garajonay National Park (Canary Islands): A Combined Approach Using Artificial Fog Catchers and a Physically Based Impaction Model

Journal of Hydrometeorology ◽

10.1175/2008jhm992.1 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 920-935 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

A. Ritter ◽

C. M. Regalado ◽

G. Aschan

Keyword(s):

Canary Islands ◽

National Park ◽

Annual Rainfall ◽

Fog Water ◽

Laurel Forest ◽

Combining Data ◽

Yearly Average ◽

Water Collection ◽

Physically Based ◽

Fog Water Collection

Abstract Fog precipitation has long been assumed as an additional water source in the relic laurel ecosystems of the Canary Islands, located at 500–1400 m MSL. However, to what extent fog water can contribute to the laurel forest water balance is not yet clear. Combining data from artificial fog catchers and a physically based impaction model, the authors evaluated the potential contribution of fog water captured by needle-leafed Erica arborea L. trees in a selected watershed of the Garajonay National Park (La Gomera Island) for a 2-yr period (February 2003–January 2005). Fog water collection was measured with artificial catchers at four micrometeorological stations placed at 1145, 1185, 1230, and 1270 m MSL. Average fog water collection was only significant at the highest measurement site (one order of magnitude greater than at lower altitudes), totaling 496 L m−2 yr−1 during the 2-yr period. The average fog water yield in the first and second annual periods ranged between 0.2–5.0 and 0.1–2.1 L m−2 day−1, respectively. Rainfall exhibited seasonality, distinguishing between rainy and dry seasons, while fog water collection was distributed more evenly throughout the year. Regarding fog water captured by the vegetation, the impaction model predicted a significant amount of fog water potentially collected by a single E. arborea tree, on the order of 1810–2090 L yr−1. Taking tree population density into account, the yearly average water contribution to the soil surface by wind-driven fogs was 251–281 mm, whereas annual rainfall was 635 and 1088 mm, respectively. The hourly course of micrometeorological variables shows a 58% reduction in global radiation under foggy conditions and a concomitant 3°–6°C mean temperature decrease compared to fog-free periods. Thus, limiting evapotranspiration may also be a relevant effect of fog in this subtropical elfin cloud forest.

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