Learn how fog collection can help mitigate water shortage in Alto Hospicio, providing vital resources to underserved communities.

One of the driest places in the world is Chile’s Atacama Desert. It receives less than a millimeter of rainfall […]

Fog harvesting may provide a crucial water source for people living in some of the planet’s driest regions. By capturing moisture from passing fog, this technique gathers droplets and channels them into storage, potentially easing shortages for those who have little or no connection to traditional water infrastructures.

Outside of a handful of valleys in Antarctica, the Atacama is the driest place on Earth. The inhospitable landscape of sand, bare rock, and salt flats is so extreme and otherworldly that it’s used as a proxy for Mars by researchers.

Fog harvesting is a relatively simple process. Mesh panels are hung between poles, and as moisture-laden clouds pass through the mesh, water droplets form and are channelled into pipes and storage tan

As cities grow, so does their demand for water, often surpassing the capacity of traditional sources. Many fast-expanding urban areas in dry regions struggle to supply their residents with enough clean water.

Scientists have proposed an unlikely solution to water scarcity in one of the driest places on the planet: fog. By harvesting moisture from the air, they argue, we could provide vulnerable communities in Chile’s Atacama desert with much-needed water.