Turning vapor into drinking water - Catching fog in response to drought | DW Documentary
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Published 2024-07-17
Two billion people across the world lack access to clean drinking water. Whole areas are drying up, while fires are destroying forests and soil. The film portrays people on the Canary Islands in Spain and in Morocco who are meeting the specter of drought with innovative new projects.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that North Africa will lose around 50 per cent of its available surface water this century. The forecasts for Spain are similar. Studies say that 75 per cent of the country is at risk of desertification. In the south of the country, villages already rely on tanker lorries to bring them water when the pipes dry up - for months on end. Research into alternative water sources is of paramount importance, here.
The European Union is funding the "Life Nieblas" project to find out more about the cloud catchers’ potential. In the north of Gran Canaria, researchers have managed to capture tens of thousands of liters of water annually from passing fogs and clouds. The water is being used to reforest a burned-out region on the Canary Island.
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All Comments (21)
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I remember reports from 20 years ago that were talking about this, but it was either implemented in smaller areas along the coast with dense fog, or was experimental. It's long overdue as an option for catching water.
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It's one of the oldest tricks in the book: a condensate trap. It's been a survival tactic for many years. It works.
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I am amazed by the instant community impact these cloud catchers have on the villagers... Wow! 🙌
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@24:26 Following the beer-making segment with a segment where people are just happy to have water come from tap exemplifies how some people abuse resources even when they claim the resource is scarce. Making beer from water in an area that is water-scarce is disrespectful to those who actually need the water.
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Thanks for this documentary! This is what's needed. Come together for a greater purpose. Here in northern California we hardly get fog anymore. 30 years ago it was hard to drive in winter morning. For the last 10 years no fog in my driving route.
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What a Noble Humanitarian Inventor with creating the Cloud catching net meshing to create clean drinking water without using energy.
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Did this guy make the same nets they use in South America? I can't remember the exact country, but I think it was up in the Andes.
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Brilliant! ❤ However, the title "Turning vapour to water" was technically misleading. The very clue is to forget the vapour (=water gas) and harvest the already liquefied water droplets of fog and clouds instead. In technology, technicalities matter. From an engineering point of view collecting dew is smart, turning vapour into drinking water would be stupid.
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I don't think you should be wasting the water on yellow beer.
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About 10 years or more, I saw a documentary about a project called Teatro del Aqua. It was a similar idea but it was meant to be implemented in coastal areas. It would also help countries that have sea and very dry/desert environment.
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well done, mate 👍🏻🍀
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People in Chile have been doing this for decades.
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Excellent study, DW! As always.
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Great story!
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Fog is not water vapor. Water vapor is the gaseous state of water, which is invisible. Fog, on the other hand, consists of tiny liquid water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air near the ground.
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So Dune but in real life
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Wow. Super impressive how much water can be got with just a few of the nets. Governments should invest to produce more of the nets.
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27:43 This water shouldn't have gone to the drain, should be used to water a plant or a drink for an animal
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The spanish stainless steel one seems like a pretty bad deal. 570 liters per year for 1m² construction that was expensive, and flattened whatever was growing there originally...those bushes which would have otherwise caught the same water anyway. That's about €1 worth of water per year where I live. The construction of the taller versions alone probably cost 500 or 1000 times the value of the water they will make in a year. Doh! That moroccan one really cranks it out though; impressive!
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Great job
