Fog harvesting in Morocco: how the system works
The fog harvesting process is simple and effective. Huge mesh nets are hung in mountainous areas where there is a high probability of dense fog passing through from the Atlantic Ocean. Small droplets are collected in the network, converted into water, and then transported to storage tanks via pipes.According to a report by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change titled “Women-Led Mist Harvesting for a Resilient and Sustainable Ecosystem,” this operation was created to benefit remote communities in southwestern Morocco, where there are no water supply systems.
This report explains the process as “a well-known and scientifically proven technique [that] It can produce a large amount of drinking water in foggy places. According to research conducted by the University of La Laguna, the initiative combines engineering solutions with community engagement to address complex problems such as climate change, poverty and discrimination among women in rural areas of Morocco.
Women are at the heart of the water revolution in Morocco
Before the installation of fog nets, women in the area had to walk long distances to collect water every day for about four hours.The UNFCCC Climate Change Program stated that this initiative now ensures safe drinking water for hundreds of people residing in different villages. Moreover, the program helped illiterate rural women learn to read and write through training courses.Speaking to The Guardian, Jamila Bargash, the project’s founder, said:“Everyone was leaving the village where I grew up, and it was all because of the water.”These words show the impact of water scarcity on the lives of communities residing near the expanding Sahara Desert.
Climate change and desertification in the Anti-Atlas region
Over the past few decades, southwestern Morocco has had to face increasingly severe drought and depletion of water sources from the ground. The scientific community and environmental organizations have stated that global warming is accelerating the process of desertification in North Africa, which would cause further pressure on the region’s water supplies.Harvesting fog was good evidence of climate adaptation. In the Momentum for Change program of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, this initiative is recognized as a climate solution with a grassroots and environmentally sustainable approach.This has led to the growth and development of the initiative over the years. As stated on Dar Si Hammad’s project page, their fog harvesting system now reaches more than 16 villages in the Anti-Atlas mountain range.
A model for sustainable water solutions
In many places where drought is becoming increasingly common as fresh water supplies dwindle, Morocco’s attempt to harvest fog is attracting a lot of attention around the world. The success of this initiative reveals how traditional knowledge about the environment can be combined with contemporary engineering skills to produce workable solutions.The importance of the story is highlighted by its human dimension. Water, which was once simply wasted as fog in mountainous areas, has become a life-saving resource. For thousands of Moroccan villagers, especially women in rural Morocco, fog is no longer just a weather phenomenon but a source of water.
